
Rain fell across parts of Southern California on Sunday, with scattered showers expected to continue overnight, raising the danger of toxic ash runoff in areas recently scathed by wildfires.
According to Joe Sirard, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard, burn areas around Pacific Palisades, Altadena, and Castaic Lake are in flood watches through 4 p.m. Monday. He explained that even minor amounts of rain will cause rapid runoff and mud flows in recently burned areas.
The Pacific Coast Highway stretch in Los Angeles County was closed as a precaution due to mudflows in Topanga Canyon, and Ventura County issued a flood advisory for parts of that region. The white stuff should fall in mountain areas.
Although it poses dangers, the rain could help firefighters combat multiple wildfires after weeks of dry, windy conditions. Crews have been working to clear vegetation and reinforce slopes in areas devastated by the Palisades and Eaton fires. The Palisades Fire, which claimed at least 11 lives and destroyed thousands of homes, reached 90% containment by Sunday, while the Eaton Fire was 98% contained.
The bulk of the area may get roughly an inch of rain in the next few days, but locally heavy cloudbursts could create deadly mudflows. Mayor Karen Bass recently issued an executive order to expedite cleanup and address environmental impacts from fire-related pollutants.
Officials said ash in burn areas is toxic, so residents are being advised to use protective gear while cleaning up. This rain should break a near-record dry spell in Southern California, where much of the region is currently under “extreme” or “severe” drought conditions, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.