When the air is warm and dry, transpiration and evaporation also suck water out of the plants and soil. That leaves dry vegetation that can provide fuel for flying embers to spread wildfires, as the Los Angeles area saw in early January.

Here's a look at the latest maps of the five active Southern California wildfires and what containment means when it comes to fighting fires.

Raging wildfires that continue to burn a path of destruction through Southern California claimed the Will Rogers ranch along with a number of other local landmarks in what is already the most damaging fire in Los Angeles history.

The number of deceased people has increased to 10 as authorities and the medical examiner continue to respond to reported fatalities.

Rows of cars at a dealership, blasted by flames, looked like they had been bombed. A man wearing a mask walked by debris of a neighborhood destroyed. A couple, arms around each other, looked at what was left of their smoldering home. A statue of a human, without a head, lay on a street.

Multiple major wildfires are leaving a trail of destruction and death in the Los Angeles area.A handful of wildfires that kicked up Tuesday, powered by high winds and dry conditions, have exploded in size.