Mayor Karen Bass issued an emergency executive order Tuesday morning to strengthen Los Angeles fire zones and protect watersheds ahead of rain expected this weekend.
The Los Angeles area continues to battle a devastating firestorm that has destroyed large swathes of coastal Los Angeles and Altadena in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains, with forecasts calling for rain as early as Saturday. are.
While the precipitation appears to be welcome as the fires continue, landslides and debris flows in burned areas could be extremely destructive. The toxic debris of these urban fires only increases the threat. Meanwhile, the region still faces severe fire danger, which could continue into Thursday or Friday.
In advance of the coming rains, Basu’s executive order directs city officials to cut and clear vegetation, shore up hillsides, shore up roads, and clear nearby debris and burnt areas. The city will strengthen the affected areas and install reinforced concrete barriers and sandbags to stop the flow of toxins, the mayor’s office said. The city will also channel rainwater into sewers to prevent fire-contaminated runoff from flowing directly into the ocean.
“This is to prevent further damage to areas already devastated by fire, and to protect our watersheds, coasts and oceans from toxic runoff,” Bass said Tuesday.
There’s a 60% to 80% chance of rain in Southern California this weekend, said Ryan Kittel, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service office in Oxnard.
Kittel said the rain could start as early as Saturday night and continue into Monday, with total rainfall in the area expected to be about half an inch.
“It won’t rain all the time, but it might rain once or twice,” Kittel said.
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