Although the cause of each blaze has yet to be determined, they all burned in or near foothill communities amid gusty winds and dry air and vegetation.

Parts of Santa Monica were ordered to be evacuated as fast-moving flames destroyed homes along the coast in Los Angeles. Winds were picking up overnight, potentially fueling the fires.

Sign up for the Morning Brief email newsletter to get weekday updates from The Weather Channel and our meteorologists. Here's how wind, drought, warmer temperatures, and even rain, fueled the Southern California wildfires into one of the worst disasters in state history.