Rain fell on Southern California, aiding firefighters battling ongoing wildfires but also raising concerns about toxic ash runoff in fire-scarred areas. Flood watches were issued for regions affected by recent blazes, warning of the potential for mud and debris flows. While the rain offered some relief to fire crews, officials urged residents to exercise caution due to the hazardous nature of post-fire ash.
More rain fell on parts of Southern California Monday, following weekend mudflows that helped firefighters battling wildfires but increased the risk of toxic ash runoff in burn areas. Flood watches were in effect for regions scarred by recent blazes around the Pacific Palisades, Altadena, and Castaic Lake, warned Joe Sirard, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard.
He stressed the vulnerability of fresh burn scars to rapid runoff, even from small amounts of rain in short periods. This heightened the danger of mud and debris flows once rainfall thresholds were exceeded. Los Angeles International Airport recorded nearly an inch of rain (2.5 centimeters) in a 24-hour span ending at 3 a.m. Monday, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Surrounding areas reported lesser amounts. School was closed Monday for Malibu's four schools within the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District due to hazardous road conditions and difficulties accessing campuses. A portion of Pacific Coast Highway in Los Angeles County was closed Sunday afternoon due to mudflows in Topanga Canyon, as reported by the California Department of Transportation. Heavy snowfall blanketed the mountains in San Bernardino and Riverside counties. The rain might offer a silver lining for firefighters battling multiple wildfires after weeks of windy and dry conditions. Los Angeles County crews dedicated much of last week to vegetation removal, slope stabilization, and road reinforcement in devastated areas of the Palisades and Eaton fires, which reduced entire neighborhoods to ash and rubble following their ignition during powerful winds on Jan. 7. The Palisades Fire, the largest of the blazes that destroyed thousands of homes and claimed at least 11 lives, reached 94% containment Monday. The Eaton Fire, which erupted near Altadena and has resulted in at least 16 fatalities, was 98% contained. The Hughes Fire, which ignited last week north of Los Angeles, prompting evacuation orders or warnings for over 50,000 residents, was 95% contained as of Monday morning. In San Diego County, firefighters made strides towards containing the smaller Border 2 Fire as it burned through a remote area of the Otay Mountain Wilderness near the U.S.-Mexico border. The region anticipated approximately an inch of precipitation over several days, but the weather service cautioned about localized cloudbursts potentially triggering mud and debris flows. 'One of those showers happening to park itself over a burn area could be enough to create debris flows,' explained Carol Smith, a weather service meteorologist, on social media. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass issued an executive order last week to expedite cleanup efforts and mitigate the environmental impacts of fire-related pollutants. LA County supervisors also approved an emergency motion to install flood-control infrastructure and swiftly remove sediment in fire-impacted areas. Fire crews distributed sandbags to communities, while county workers set up barriers, cleared drainage pipes, and cleaned basins. Officials warned that ash in recent burn zones contained a toxic mix of incinerated vehicles, electronics, batteries, building materials, paints, furniture, and other household items. This toxic cocktail included pesticides, asbestos, plastics, and lead. Residents were urged to wear protective gear while cleaning up. Concerns about post-fire debris flows reached a peak after the 2018 Montecito tragedy, where a deluge triggered devastating mudslides on slopes stripped bare by a massive wildfire. Hundreds of homes were damaged, and 23 people lost their lives. This rain broke a near-record dry spell for Southern California, where most of the region currently faces “extreme drought” or “severe drought,” according to the U.S. Drought Monitor
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