LOS ANGELES (KTLA) – Now that the immediate threat of the Palisades and Eaton wildfires has passed, residents of Altadena, Pasadena, Pacific Palisades, and Malibu face another looming threat from Mother Nature.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order this week directing “immediate action” on debris removal to reduce the possibility of flooding and landslides when rain returns to Southern California.
Los Angeles County Public Works Director Mark Pestrella says it’s not a question of if, but when.
“Both areas have significant watershed damage and burnt areas, and we expect large amounts of debris flows to flow in when it rains,” Pestrera said at a news conference Thursday morning. “If there is heavy rain, we expect all street areas and all communities to be affected.”
The Palisades and Eaton fires burned more than 37,000 acres, primarily along the foothills and slopes of the Santa Monica and San Gabriel Mountains.
CalFire map showing the Palisades and Eaton fire boundaries in Los Angeles County. January 16, 2025. (CalFire)
Los Angeles County Public Works is rushing to develop a plan to contain debris from the vast burn scar while strengthening nearby flood control systems, Pestrella said.
“I have to give you an early warning: We are expecting rain later this month,” Pestrela said.
The National Weather Service office in Los Angeles said watershed experts are working closely with the U.S. Forest Service and state and local emergency response teams to prepare.
“Everything within and downstream of the burned area will be at risk,” NWS Senior Service Hydrologist Jamie Raver told KTLA 5 News. He added that wildfire burn scars typically take five to seven years to heal.
A police officer parks in front of a house that was previously unscathed by the Palisades fire but was torn in half by a landslide in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, on January 16, 2025. (Getty Images)
In 2023, remnants of Hurricane Hillary brought heavy rain to Southern California, and wildfires that started three years earlier caused massive debris flows in the San Bernardino Mountains.
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