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Mud, Rain Hit California Counties Razed By Summer Wildfires
Santa Cruz, CA (AHN) – After being hit by wildfires that raged for weeks, counties in Southern California are now under heavy rain and darkness, as a strong October storm downed power lines and brought as much as 10 inches of rain in some areas. Officials and residents are on alert for erosion from the surrounding hills stripped of vegetation by summer fires.
About 60 homes along Swanton Road in Santa Cruz County, where the Lockheed Fire had burned, have been evacuated. The San Lorenzo Valley high school, middle school, and elementary schools are closed, as are a number of roads due to fallen trees with wires, flooding, and mudslides.
The Lockheed Fire had burned 7,817 acres and for nearly two weeks before it was fully contained by more than 800 fire personnel late August. The blaze had cost $26.6 million to extinguish.
The area burnt by Lockheed received 10.68 inches of rain on Tuesday, according to the California Forestry and Fire Protection. The downpour is expected to continue through the rest of the week.
In Santa Barbara County, the site of a massive 89,489-acre fire over the summer, up to 5 inches of rain is expected. A flash flood warning has been issued and residents have been filling sandbags to protect from mudslides.
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles County has issued a mudflow forecast. The level of erosion is expected to reach Phase I in Acton, Glendale, La Canada, La Crescenta, and Tujunga — all areas near where the 160,577-acre Station Fire, the 10th largest blaze in the state since 1933 and the largest in the county’s history, killed two firefighters, injured 12 people and destroyed 82 homes in August.
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