The National Weather Service warned a destructive windstorm would increase wildfire risk this week. Here's what to expect.

Powerful Santa Ana winds are sweeping across Southern California in a windstorm that triggered red flag warnings for Los Angeles County and created what firefighters called some of the most dangerous conditions the fire-prone region has ever seen.

Firefighters battled early Thursday to control a series of major fires in the Los Angeles area that have killed five people, ravaged communities from the Pacific Coast to Pasadena and sent thousands of people frantically fleeing their homes.