As residents throughout the Los Angeles area deal with the unfathomable disaster that remains after the devastating Eaton and Palisades fires, a new threat is looming.
Officials are warning that mudslides could hit the areas affected by the fires as a rainy end to the weekend is expected. According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the fire zones in Altadena and Malibu are most at risk through Monday.
“Due to the recent wildfires and resulting burn scars, the Cities of Altadena and Malibu are at high risk for mud and rockslides,” the department warns. “Heavy rainfall, which is forecasted for the area, may exacerbate these conditions, leading to potentially life-threatening situations.”
KTLA’s Omar Lewis was in the Pacific Palisades on Sunday morning, where crews took preemptive actions to clear storm drains and place tarps and sandbags on hillsides with burn scar areas. Burn scars, officials say, create high risk for slides as moisture and rainy conditions build up.
“That combination of scorched hillsides and rain is proving to be a dangerous mix with the ground here already charred and disintegrated,” Lewis said.
Rain began to fall across L.A. County on Saturday night. As of 4:48 a.m., the L.A. coast and San Gabriel Mountains received between one and two-tenth inches of rain, according to the National Weather Service.
