In California, the Santa Ana winds whipped up debris that slammed into power lines and equipment.

WSJ: Fierce Winds Batter California

The Santa Ana winds sent plumes of smoke and embers over the homes and strawberry fields to the south.

NPR: Fire Forces Evacuation Of Campus, Homes In Calif.

The Santa Ana winds fanned the blaze and blew clouds of dark smoke over homes and strawberry fields to the south.

BBC: California wildfire shuts famous highway

They are facing miles and miles of a deadly firewall that is being fanned by gusty Santa Ana winds and aided by ridiculously low humidity.

CNN: E-mail from an inferno: The horror of the fire

Forecasters said high pressure over the Great Basin would send Santa Ana winds through and below passes and canyons and near coastal foothills until Thursday afternoon.

NPR: Wind-Fueled Wildfire Erupts East Of Los Angeles

"We get fire once in a while, but most of the time it's really quiet and we get the occasional Santa Ana winds come rushing down those canyons at about 60, 70 miles an hour, but it's so peaceful around here, it's very nice and it's worth it, definitely worth it, " says Mr Koch.

BBC: California faces up to year-round forest fires