High winds that weather officials have called "life-threatening and destructive" are hitting Southern California Tuesday, sparking a major brush fire in Pacific Palisades and prompting thousands of power outages.

The Santa Ana winds occur when there is high pressure to the east, in the Great Basin, and a low-pressure system off the coast. Air masses move from high pressure to low pressure, and the more extreme the difference in the pressure, the faster the winds blow. Topography also plays a role.

As winds picked up once again after days of wildfires in Los Angeles, a new fire began and quickly grew on the evening of Jan. 9. Located atop the Corcovado Mountain in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the Christ the Redeemer’s iconic status ranks as one of the seven modern wonders of the world.