A state of emergency has been declared in Southern California as fierce wildfires fueled by powerful Santa Ana winds continue to rage. Thousands of residents have been forced to evacuate their homes as flames tear through coastal communities,

Santa Ana winds will create extreme fire danger and bring the possibility of damaging winds not seen in 10-plus years for some areas.

California firefighters battled wind-whipped wildfires that tore across the Los Angeles area, destroying homes, clogging roadways as tens of thousands fled and straining resources as the fires burned uncontained early Wednesday.