(NewsNation) — Los Angeles wildfires are being fueled by what the National Weather Service said could be the strongest Santa Ana windstorm in over a decade.
What’s the cause of the LA fires?
Cal Fire reports the actual cause of the fires is still under investigation.
Los Angeles has declared a state of emergency as winds reach 35-55 mph, with higher gusts in the mountains and foothills.
The death toll from the wildfires has risen to five, and more than 100,000 people are under evacuation orders, according to officials.
Click here to view the LAPD’s interactive evacuation zone map.
NewsNation’s Chris Cuomo, who has covered wildfires for decades, believes we are “nowhere near the end of it.”
“The reason the fires are growing in a way that we have rarely seen is that they are each and all being turbocharged by winds that are too much for everything and everyone,” Cuomo said. “Nothing fuels fire like air. … And the air is doing the most damage. The winds caused everything that we’re seeing right now.”
What causes wildfires?
A wildfire is an uncontrolled fire that burns in wildland vegetation, often in rural areas, according to National Geographic.
A lightning strike, or a human-made spark, are common causes of wildfires. However, it is often the weather conditions that determine how much a wildfire grows, according to National Geographic.
Wind, high temperatures and little rainfall can all leave trees and limbs dried out and primed to fuel a fire. Topography plays a big part, as well, as flames burn uphill faster than they burn downhill.
In cities with roads near wildlife, such as in Southern California, it is very common for vehicles to accidentally ignite a fire, Luca Carmignani, a fire adviser from the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, previously told USA TODAY.