As wildfires in California continue to burn after more than a week, hundreds of people have been evacuated. 

Spectrum News caught up with SUNY ESF Professor, Tom Horton, who has researched fires and control burns. Horton says pre-human, lightning frequently started wildfires.

In the west, Indigenous people and colonists would sometimes start them for burning, harvest or to push game over hills.

Today, Horton says most wildfires are man-made. That's why we're starting to see them year-round and not just during the dry season. These fires can spread very quickly.

In Southern California, what's known as the Santa Ana winds can move up to 80 miles per hour.

"When it gets really really hot, heat rises in the desert and the Pacific Ocean is cool. It pushes hot air right over the hills. If a fire starts, that just obviously causes a tremendous problem because it's just fanning the fire literally," said Tom Horton, SUNY ESF Mycology Professor.

Those high winds cause sparks to fly and often times other individual fires will break out. When firefighters battle these flames, they're trying to control and keep it from spreading near people and structures.

Residents can also take preventative measures such as clearing any brush from your house. That will help firefighters try to contain the fire and save your home. 

Of course, anytime an evacuation is advised, residents should always follow orders.