With rain possible for the weekend, LA Mayor Karen Bass works to shore up burn areas

Julia Wick, Los Angeles Times on Jan 21, 2025

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LOS ANGELES — Mayor Karen Bass issued an emergency executive order Tuesday morning to shore up Los Angeles burn areas and protect watersheds ahead of potential rain this weekend.

The forecast, which could bring some rain as soon as Saturday, comes as the Los Angeles area continues to battle a catastrophic firestorm that has devastated a wide swath of coastal L.A. and Altadena in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains.

Although precipitation might seem welcome as fires continue to burn, mudslides and debris flows in burned areas can be highly destructive. The toxic remains of these urban fires only magnify the threat. Meanwhile, the region is still facing severe fire danger, which is likely to persist until Thursday or Friday.

Ahead of the coming rain, Bass' executive order directs city crews to clear and remove vegetation, reinforce hillsides, reinforce roads and clear debris from neighborhoods and burn areas. The city will install reinforced concrete barriers and sandbags to shore up affected areas and stem the flow of toxins, according to the mayor's office. The city will also work to divert storm water into the sewer system to prevent fire-contaminated runoff from flowing directly into the ocean.

"This is to prevent additional damage to areas already ravaged by fire, and also to protect our watershed, beaches and ocean from toxic runoff," Bass said Tuesday.

There is a 60% to 80% chance of rain this weekend in Southern California, according to Ryan Kittell, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Oxnard.

Kittell said the rain could arrive as early as Saturday evening and continue through Monday, with about half an inch of total rain forecast for the region.

"It's not going to be raining that entire period, but there's one or two windows of opportunity for some rain," Kittell said.