{phrelin.com}

Those hot dry winds that come down through the mountain passes and curl your hair and make your nerves jump and your skin itch. On nights like that every booze party ends in a fight. Meek little wives feel the edge of the carving knife and study their husbands’ necks. Anything can happen. – Raymond Chandler

Basically, the Santa Ana winds are a recipe for wildfire. Such was the case last night near Santa Barbara, California:

A fast-moving brush fire driven by 50- to 70-mph winds erupted Thursday night in the hills above Montecito in Santa Barbara County, burning 1,500 acres, destroying more than 80 homes and forcing evacuations of luxury neighborhoods, authorities said.