Driven by punishing and unrelenting Santa Ana winds, a massive brush fire ripped through the Pacific Palisades area Tuesday, destroying or damaging an unknown number of structures and forcing thousands of people from their homes as it moved toward Malibu on the west and Santa Monica on the southeast.

High-speed winds this week have the potential to knock over semitrucks and cause other hazardous driving situations. Here's what to know.

We are under a First Alert Weather Alert until 7 this evening due to Santa Ana winds and their impacts. Red Flag Warnings and High Wind Warnings remain in place through this evening across Southern California,

Santa Ana winds in Southern California are often-fierce winds that topple power lines and trees and can turn a spark into a raging wildfire.

The fire ignited in Pacific Palisades amid "a life-threatening, destructive, widespread windstorm," officials said.

Another round of gusty Santa Ana winds are headed to Southern California, increasing the risk for a rapidly spreading wildfire. “Breezy today and then we’ll start seeing some really windy conditions tomorrow morning and then on Tuesday night into Wednesday and Thursday,

The situation prompted the Los Angeles Fire Department to take the rare step of putting out a plea for off-duty firefighters to help. It was too windy for firefighting aircraft to fly, further hampering the fight.

At least two fires sparked in Southern California on Jan. 7 amid a “life-threatening and destructive” windstorm event that’s sweeping through the region.

The potentially hazardous conditions are expected Tuesday afternoon through Wednesday in Los Angeles and Ventura counties, according to the NWS.