Efforts to contain and suppress two Southern California wildfires continue Wednesday as fire crews work amid a Paticularly Dangerous Situation alert red flag warning weather conditions. The Eaton Fire has burned 14,

Containing wildfires—never mind extinguishing them—in parched and windy conditions can be monstrously difficult. Dry vegetation is rocket fuel for blazes and wind both feeds the flames and spreads the embers. “The winds are like pointing an air blower at a fireplace,” says Gershunov, “except it’s not contained and it’s on a much larger scale.”