Firefighters scrambled to corral a fast-moving wildfire in the Los Angeles hillsides dotted with celebrity homes as a "life-threatening, destructive" windstorm hit Southern California, fanning the blaze seen for miles while roads were clogged with cars as residents tried to flee.

The winds are common in California in the colder months, but they can sometimes help spread dangerous wildfires.

Santa Ana winds are fueling dangerous wildfire conditions in Los Angeles and other parts of Southern California.

Santa Ana winds are dry, warm gusts originating in California’s interior, driven by high-pressure systems. They intensify through mountain passes, spreading wildfires, toppling trees, and creating hazardous conditions during cooler months.

Resident Nicolas Libonati said he saw a lot of abandoned cars on the road, and people running toward the coast. "It was kind of a surreal scene," he said.

Santa Ana winds are common in Southern California during cooler months. Here’s a look at the often-fierce winds that topple power lines and trees and can turn a spark into a raging wildfire:What are Santa Ana winds?

Fueled by strong Santa Ana winds, low humidity and ongoing drought conditions, wildfires erupted Tuesday in Southern California, threatening homes in Pacific Palisades.

For the third time since early November, parts of Southern California’s Los Angeles and Ventura counties are under a red-flag warning for extreme fire danger.

The nature of the Santa Ana winds makes them perfectly suited to spreading flames. The destructive Palisades Fire is the latest example

Among the residents who call the area home are Jennifer Aniston, Bradley Cooper, Eugene Levy, Michael Mann, Ann Sarnoff, Carol Lombardini, Alan Bergman, Kathleen Kennedy, Steve Guttenberg and James Woods.