After a brief break on Sunday afternoon, another prolonged round of gusty Santa Ana winds is expected to develop, forecasters say.

Santa Ana winds occur when air flows west from a region of high pressure over the dry Great Basin to lower pressure off the California coast, According to Accuweather. As that cool interior air flows over and through mountain passes, it accelerates, sinks and compresses.

After a brief respite, crews from California and nine other states, along with Canadian and Mexican reinforcements, face another round of dangerous conditions.

At least 16 people are confirmed dead and 12,000 structures have been destroyed in the devastating wildfires in California. WBZ-TV's Laura Haefeli reports.

Another wave of Santa Ana winds arrive Saturday, likely generating gusts over 40 mph throughout the Inland Empire going into Sunday.

At least five wildfires are ravaging Southern California, and the three largest have already killed at least five people, burned tens of thousands of acres and prompted the evacuation of an estimated 179,

High wind warnings are in place until 2 p.m. for the San Gabriel Mountains and western Santa Monica Mountains, with gusts of 60 mph or more. A wind advisory was also in effect Sunday in the Santa Clarita and western valleys of LA County, and the eastern Santa Monica Mountains to the Malibu coast, where wind gusts of 45 to 55 mph were expected.

The winds are common in California in the colder months, but they can sometimes help spread dangerous wildfires.

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.

Helping drive the wildfires in the US city of Los Angeles are the so-called Santa Ana winds, a weather phenomenon known to dry out "the hills and the nerves to

Firefighters welcomed a break Saturday morning from the dangerous Santa Ana winds. But the reprieve will only be measured in hours, as strong winds return later Saturday.