LOS ANGELES (CNS) – A flood watch will go into effect Sunday in recent Los Angeles County wildfire areas, as the first of what’s expected to be three days of rain arrives and authorities switch gears from worrying about fires to possible landslides.
The National Weather Service issued a flood watch from 4 p.m. Sunday to 4 p.m. Monday for the Eaton, Palisades, Franklin, Bridge and Hughes burn scars.
“Flash flooding and debris flows caused by excessive rainfall are possible in and near the burn scars,” according to the NWS. “Those living in areas prone to flooding should be prepared to take action should flooding develop.”
Although the rainfall totals aren’t expected to be that large, the terrain in the fire areas is especially vulnerable to movement after the devastating blazes.
The NWS also issued a winter storm warning that will be in place from 4 p.m. Saturday to 4 p.m. Monday for the eastern San Gabriel Mountains, and a winter weather advisory during the same hours in the Golden State (5) Freeway corridor in the northern reaches of the county.
Forecasters warned that “heavy snow” is expected in the eastern San Gabriels, possibly accumulating up to 14 inches in some areas, although only an inch or less is anticipated along the Grapevine stretch of the 5 Freeway.
For the rest of the area, rain is expected to arrive early Sunday, with only light showers anticipated through Sunday morning. But “chances for higher rain rates will be increasing Sunday afternoon into Monday,” according to the NWS.
The exact amount of rain expected has been in flux, with some forecasts initially indicating between a quarter- and half-inch, but others calling for slightly more. Thunderstorms are also possible with the system.
Local authorities aren’t taking any chances.
Mark Pestrella, director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works, said crews were preparing for the potential rain, deploying K- rails, sandbags and other devices “to manage sediment and debris.” In the Eaton Fire area, crews were using Santa Anita racetrack as a staging area for supplies, and on the west side near the Palisades Fire, Santa Monica Airport was being used as a base of operations.
“Currently, our crews are clearing debris from streets, cleaning and preparing debris basins, deploying sandbags and other systems to keep runoff with ash and other burn debris from entering the storm drain system,” he said. “Public Works is also working with the state to coordinate the deployment of K- rail in burn areas.”
Pestrella urged burn-area residents who have returned to their homes to plan to stay indoors during the storm event, saying that while officials do not expect the rain to cause damaging flows that would mandate evacuations, sediment and debris will still likely flow into streets.
“This is not expected to be a tremendous amount of debris, but enough to actually cause transportation problems for our first responders that may be trying to travel,” he said. “I’d like to reserve those streets for our first responders.”
He said people who live in homes that back up to recently burned hillside areas can have county crews come to their homes and inspect their properties to see if any mitigation efforts are needed to protect against possible landslides. But he warned: “If … there is a slope behind your home that is burned and it’s maybe 20 feet or more in height, and it is adjacent to the property in any direction, your best bet is not to be in that home when it rains.”
The county Department of Public Works is the lead agency coordinating fire-debris-removal efforts following the Palisades and Eaton blazes, in conjunction with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — which is handling the first-phase removal of hazardous wastes — and the Army Corps of Engineers, which will oversee physical debris removal. Officials with those agencies noted that preliminary work on removal has begun, but mainly with assessments and establishing temporary storage areas for debris being removed.
Residents seeking sandbags for protection against possible debris flow were asked to visit the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works website at dpw.lacounty.gov/dsg/sandbags/.
The rain will arrive as firefighters continue to make progress encircling major wildfires that have struck the region in recent weeks.
The Eaton Fire in the Altadena and Pasadena areas was 95% contained after burning 14,021 acres, and authorities said Saturday that repopulation efforts were completed.
The Palisades Fire was 87% contained after burning 23,448 acres. Many residents are returning home under escort by sheriff’s deputies, but some areas remain under an evacuation order.
The Hughes Fire near Castaic Lake has burned 10,425 acres since breaking out Wednesday, and was 90% contained Saturday, according to Cal Fire.
The fires have thus far claimed 28 lives — 11 in the Palisades Fire area and 17 in the Eaton Fire.
The Los Angeles County Office of Medical Examiner has positively identified 18 of the 28 people confirmed dead in the two wildfires. The list can be found at me.lacounty.gov/2025/press-releases/wildfire-update-18-victims- identified-by-medical- examiner/?utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_name=&utm_source=govdelivery&utm_te rm=.
Evacuation orders have been lifted for dozens of areas in both the Palisades and Eaton fire areas, though some homes were still without electricity and/or gas service due to safety shutoffs. A curfew remains in effect nightly from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. in the mandatory evacuation areas, with only firefighters, law enforcement and utility workers allowed in those zones.
The sheriff’s department and other law enforcement agencies have reported dozens of arrests for alleged looting, burglaries and curfew violations since the fires in ignited in Altadena and the Palisades.
Topanga Canyon Boulevard between Grand View Drive and Pacific Coast Highway remains closed until further notice. PCH is also closed between Coastline and Entrada drives.
FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers are open at UCLA Research Park West, 10850 W. Pico Blvd., and Pasadena City College Community Education Center, 3035 E. Foothill Blvd., to assist homeowners with applying for aid.
A new Disaster Recovery Center will open in Altadena Monday, with daily hours from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and will be available to residents seven days a week. The new center will be located at 540 W. Woodbury Road. Both the Pasadena and Altadena locations will be open through the end of January, but beginning Feb. 1, the Pasadena location will close and all services will shift to Altadena.
The causes of the Eaton and Palisades fires remain under investigation. Both erupted on Jan. 7 as the area was under a red flag warning for critical fire danger due to a historic wind event that saw gusts of 80 to 100 mph.
More than 16,000 structures were destroyed in the two fires, according to Cal Fire.
By the time all the damage is assessed, the fires are expected to constitute the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history
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