ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Any fire needs oxygen to grow and the wildfires in the Los Angeles area are no exception. The fires have destroyed more than 10,000 homes and killed at least 10 people, in part because of the powerful Santa Ana winds. One firefighter described it as like fighting a fire in a hurricane.

First Alert Meteorologist Stacey Pensgen explains how an area of high pressure builds east of the Sierra Mountains, funnels down, and squeezes through California’s Canyons to create strong winds. It’s similar to how warm air sometimes moves into Western New York from the Southern Tier, only magnified immensely. You can see her explanation in this story.