Saturday, July 12, 2025
ADVT 
International

Rain moves through Southern California, dousing fires but without causing serious mudslides

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 27 Jan, 2025 04:07 PM
  • Rain moves through Southern California, dousing fires but without causing serious mudslides

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Rain moved out of Southern California on Monday after the first significant storm of the season brought weekend downpours that aided firefighters while causing ash and mud to flow across streets, but no significant problems were reported in areas scorched by wildfires.

More than an inch (2.5 centimeters) of rain fell in many areas, loosening Los Angeles hillsides burned bare by the recent blaze near the Pacific Palisades neighborhood, where crews cleared inundated roadways including the famed Pacific Coast Highway.

In neighboring Malibu, four schools were closed Monday “due to dangerous road conditions,” the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District said in a statement.

Clouds were clearing, but flood watches were still in effect forfire-scarred areas of the Palisades, Altadena and Castaic Lake.

“All these fresh burns are very susceptible to rapid runoff,” said Joe Sirard, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service’s office for Los Angeles.

North of Los Angeles, snowy conditions late Sunday shut down the mountainous Tejon Pass section of Interstate 5, a key north-south artery for the state. It reopened Monday afternoon. The highway rises to more than 4,100 feet (1,250 meters) between LA and the San Joaquin Valley, making it susceptible to storm closures.

Mountains across San Bernardino and Riverside counties were under a winter storm warning Monday and were forecast to get about a foot (0.30 meters) of snow from the storm. Chains were required for some vehicles heading to ski resorts in the Big Bear Lake area northeast of Los Angeles because of icy roads.

Parts of San Diego County received more than an inch of rain, while other areas got less.

The rain began Saturday after months of dry and often gusty weather that created dangerous fire conditions.

Los Angeles County crews spent much of last week removing vegetation, shoring up slopes and reinforcing roads in areas devastated by the Palisades and Eaton fires, which reduced entire neighborhoods to rubble and ash after breaking out during powerful winds on Jan. 7.

The Palisades Fire, the largest of the blazes that destroyed thousands of homes and killed at least 11 people, reached 94% containment Monday. The Eaton Fire, which broke out near Altadena and has killed at least 16 people, was 98% contained.

The Hughes Fire, which ignited north of Los Angeles last week and caused evacuation orders or warnings for more than 50,000 people, was nearly contained.

Downpours in San Diego County, helped firefighters make significant progress against the smaller Border 2 Fire churning through a remote area of the Otay Mountain Wilderness near the U.S.-Mexico border.

Los Angeles city and county officials last week expedited cleanup efforts and other measures aimed at mitigating the environmental impacts of fire-related pollutants, and a White House statement on Friday said President Donald Trump has directed federal officials to help local authorities. Within five days of the order, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and other departments “shall develop and execute a plan to expedite the bulk removal of contaminated and general debris,” the statement said.

Officials cautioned that ash in recent burn zones was a toxic mixof incinerated cars, electronics, batteries, building materials, paints, furniture and other household items. It contains pesticides, asbestos, plastics and lead. Residents were urged to wear protective gear while cleaning up.

Concerns about post-fire debris flows have been especially high since 2018, when the town of Montecito, up the coast from Los Angeles, was ravaged by mudslides after a downpour hit mountain slopes charred by a huge wildfire. Hundreds of homes were damaged and 23 people died.

The rain ended a near-record streak of dry weather for Southern California. Most of Southern California is currently in “extreme drought” or “severe drought,” according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

MORE International ARTICLES

Four Israeli soldiers killed in Rafah building explosion

Four Israeli soldiers killed in Rafah building explosion
Four Israeli soldiers have been killed in an explosion at a building in Rafah in the south of the Gaza Strip, according to the Israeli military. The army announced the deaths of the four men, aged between 19 and 24, on Tuesday.

Four Israeli soldiers killed in Rafah building explosion

UK PM promises tax cuts, reduced immigration in election manifesto

UK PM promises tax cuts, reduced immigration in election manifesto
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Tuesday promised to cut taxes and reduce immigration as he launched the Conservative Party's general election manifesto. The Conservatives promised to cut the amount of national insurance paid by employees by a further 2 percentage points if the party is re-elected, reported Xinhua News Agency.

UK PM promises tax cuts, reduced immigration in election manifesto

French President calls for immediate ceasefire in Gaza

French President calls for immediate ceasefire in Gaza
French President Emmanuel Macron has urged for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and called for a political solution while meeting with his US counterpart Joe Biden, who is on a state visit to France. "After nine months of conflict, the situation in Rafah, and the human toll, are unacceptable," Macron said on Saturday at a joint press conference.

French President calls for immediate ceasefire in Gaza

Indian origin man shoots brother dead, injures mother, kills self in New York

Indian origin man shoots brother dead, injures mother, kills self in New York
An Indian-origin man here shot his brother dead, injured his mother, and then killed himself, according to police. Karamjit Multani, 33, shot his brother Vipanpal, 27, on Sunday in their home in the Richmond Hill neighbourhood and went out and turned the gun on himself at a place about two kilometres away, police said.

Indian origin man shoots brother dead, injures mother, kills self in New York

Guilty: Trump becomes first former U.S. president convicted of felony crimes

Guilty: Trump becomes first former U.S. president convicted of felony crimes
Donald Trump becomes the first former American president to be convicted of felony crimes Thursday as a New York jury found him guilty of all 34 charges in a scheme to illegally influence the 2016 election through a hush money payment to a porn actor who said the two had sex. Trump sat stone-faced while the verdict was read as cheering from the street below could be heard in the hallway on the courthouse's 15th floor where the decision was revealed after more than nine hours of deliberations.

Guilty: Trump becomes first former U.S. president convicted of felony crimes

Indian mission in NY reports death of another Indian student

Indian mission in NY reports death of another Indian student
Another Indian student enrolled in a US university has died, the Indian consulate in New York reported on Friday. "Deeply saddened by the unfortunate demise of Mr. Uma Satya Sai Gadde, an Indian student in Cleveland, Ohio," it said in a post on X.

Indian mission in NY reports death of another Indian student