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California wildfires latest: Rain brings relief — and mudslides — to burn areas in Los Angeles

The three largest wildfires in Los Angeles County are now over 95% contained, according to fire officials.

Mud and debris from a fire-ravaged hillside covers Topanga Canyon Boulevard on Monday.
Mud and debris from a fire-ravaged hillside covers Topanga Canyon Boulevard on Monday. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

Southern California finally received some much-needed rain this week after weeks of historically dry, windy weather fueled this month's deadly wildfire outbreak — but with it came the threat of landslides, mudslides and toxic ash runoff in burn areas.

According to the National Weather Service, more than an inch of rain fell in parts of Los Angeles over a three-day span, triggering flash flood watches and warnings. Some debris flows were reported along the Pacific Coast Highway, and snow in the surrounding mountains briefly shut down Interstate 5.

But the wet weather was also a boon to firefighters who continue to battle four active wildfires that have scorched more than 57,000 acres. The three biggest — the Palisades, Eaton and Hughes fires — are each more than 95% contained, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The Border 2 Fire, which erupted in the Otay Mountain Wilderness area east of Chula Vista late last week, is now 90% contained.

Meanwhile, California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order Monday reiterating that people who are rebuilding their homes are not subject to environmental permit requirements laid out in the California Coastal Act.

“As the state helps the Los Angeles area rebuild and recover, we will continue to remove barriers and red tape that stand in the way," Newsom said.

Live313 updates
  • Man finds engagement ring in rubble of Eaton Fire, immediately proposes to girlfriend

    A man who was planning to propose to his girlfriend found the engagement ring while searching the remains of their Altadena home — and he promptly popped the question amid the rubble.

    Brian McShea told ABC 7 in Los Angeles that he had been hiding the ring he bought for Stephanie Raynor in a desk drawer and left it behind when they were forced to quickly evacuate.

    When the couple returned to the charred remains of their home, he went searching for it even though he figured it was likely gone.

    "I was thinking, 'Well, maybe the stone can survive, and maybe we'll find the little stone.' I thought the ring was going to completely disintegrate," McShea recalled. "I was like, 'We're going to look over here where my desk is.' I did not tell her why. I don't know what [she] thought we were looking for because it was pretty obvious that a lot of my stuff was gone.”

    He continued: "I really didn't have a lot of hope, but you just brush away some rubble and there's a little ring, and you pick that up and it's actually a washer to something, and that happened like four times, and then you pick it up, and there's a little diamond."

    After recovering the ring, McShea asked Raynor to marry him, and she said yes.

  • Risk of fires has been 'essentially wiped out' by the rain, AccuWeather's chief meteorologist says

    Some more good fire weather forecast news: AccuWeather chief meteorologist Jonathan Porter says the risk of wildfires has been "essentially wiped out" for the next several weeks.

    "Recent rainfall and onshore winds, bringing more moisture from the Pacific Ocean, have essentially wiped out the fire risk in Southern California for the foreseeable future," Porter said in his latest forecast. "We don't expect any major Santa Ana wind events or conditions that would cause a widespread elevated fire risk in the next few weeks. The rain was very beneficial in most areas. Parched vegetation that has been fueling fires received a good soaking."

    There is, however, the risk of mudslides in burn areas whenever there's a rain event for the rest of the year.

    "Flames and intense heat from wildfires scorched the vegetation and even the topsoil. When rain falls on a burn scar, the ground cannot effectively absorb water. Too much rain falling too quickly can send a dangerous mix of water, mud, ash, rocks and debris sliding down hills and mountains," Porter explained. "Mudslides and debris flows will be a risk every time substantial rain falls in these burn scar areas for the rest of this winter and even into next winter."

  • The Hughes Fire is almost completely contained, fire officials say

    A half dozen firefighters under a night sky are illuminated by burning foliage.
    Firefighters using hand tools work to contain the Hughes Fire in Castaic, Calif., on Jan. 22. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

    The Hughes Fire, which scorched more than 10,000 acres after erupting less than a week ago, is now nearly 100% contained.

    "Firefighters have successfully held the fire at 10,425 acres and brought containment up to 98%," the Los Angeles County Fire Department said in a press release Tuesday. "Crews continue to identify and extinguish isolated pockets of heat within the fire perimeter to prevent rekindling."

    It added: "Given the progress, this will be the final official update of the Hughes Fire."

    The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

  • EPA plans to use a park to process hazardous materials from the Eaton Fire, sparking outcry

    An aerial view of homes burned in the Eaton Fire in Altadena, Calif., from an image taken on Jan. 25. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
    An aerial view of homes burned in the Eaton Fire in Altadena, Calif., from an image taken on Jan. 25. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

    The Environmental Protection Agency plans to begin processing hazardous materials soon from the Palisades and Eaton Fires. The site for debris from the Palisades Fire is on empty lots near the intersection of Pacific Coast Highway and Topanga Canyon Boulevard.

    The site for debris from the Eaton Fire is Lario Park, a park on federally owned land in the San Gabriel Valley. And officials from the neighboring cities of Azusa, Duarte, Irwindale and Baldwin Park, as well as Los Angeles County, are opposing the move.

    “I am deeply concerned by the Environmental Protection Agency and their decision to designate Lario Park as a collection and processing site for hazardous materials left behind by the Eaton Fire, including lithium electric vehicle batteries," L.A. County Supervisor Hilda Solis said in a statement. "These materials pose significant environmental and health risks, especially in residential areas."

    “We are doing everything we can to stop it,” Margaret Finlay, a member of the Duarte City Council, told the San Gabriel Valley Tribune. “It seems like the wrong place to have it.”

    One concern is that the trucks carrying hazardous waste from burned-down homes and businesses in Altadena and north Pasadena to the park will not use the 210 Freeway but side streets.

    “That means it will be surface streets coming through our city," Finlay said. "What if the trash falls off the truck?”

    At the site itself, the EPA said that it will use a water truck for routine dust suppression, to minimize visible emissions and conduct post-sampling to ensure it is safe.

    City officials also said they were not given proper notice by the EPA of the decision to use Lario Park as a staging site.

    "We are extremely disappointed with the lack of respect to our local residents for not being notified of the EPA's cleanup efforts and having toxic materials transported to our backyards," the city of Duarte said.

  • Trump says U.S. military 'turned on' California's water, but state officials dispute his claim

    President Trump talks with California Gov. Gavin Newsom after arriving at Los Angeles International Airport on Friday.
    President Trump talks with California Gov. Gavin Newsom after arriving at Los Angeles International Airport on Friday. (Mark Schiefelbein/AP)

    President Trump, who has criticized California over its water use in the aftermath of this month's Los Angeles area wildfires, said Monday that the U.S. military has intervened.

    "The United States Military just entered the Great State of California and, under Emergency Powers, TURNED ON THE WATER flowing abundantly from the Pacific Northwest, and beyond," Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social Monday night. "The days of putting a Fake Environmental Argument, over PEOPLE, are over. Enjoy the water, California!!!"

    But state officials say that's simply not true.

    "The military did not enter California," the California Department of Water Resources said in a statement posted to X overnight. "The federal government restarted federal water pumps after they were offline for maintenance for three days. State water supplies in Southern California remain plentiful."

  • Map shows where wildfires are currently burning in Southern California

  • Mudslide forces closure of Topanga Canyon Boulevard

    Part of Topanga Canyon Boulevard in Pacific Palisades remains closed due to a weekend mudslide in an area that was burned in the Palisades Fire.

    The California Department of Transportation has posted on X a list of the most recent road closures in fire zones:

  • Here's how much rain fell in L.A. County

    According to the National Weather Service, these are the top rainfall totals between Saturday and Monday morning in Los Angeles County:

    • Porter Ranch: 1.62 inches

    • Sepulveda Canyon at Mulholland Drive: 1.45 inches

    • Santa Monica Pier: 1.38 inches

    • San Antonio Sierra: 1.37 inches

    • Northridge: 1.36 inches

    • Tanbark: 1.32 inches

    • West Fork Heliport: 1.26 inches

  • Palisades, Eaton and Hughes fires are over 95% contained

    Firefighters continue to make progress battling four active wildfires in Southern California, which have scorched more than 57,000 acres, according to Cal Fire:

    • Palisades Fire (Los Angeles County): 23,448 acres, 95% containment

    • Eaton Fire (Los Angeles County): 14,021 acres, 99% containment

    • Hughes Fire (Los Angeles County): 10,425 acres, 98% containment

    • Border 2 Fire (San Diego County): 6,625 acres, 74% containment

  • Newsom issues another executive order waiving rebuilding rules for wildfire survivors

    An aerial view shows the devastation left by the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades section of Los Angeles Monday. (Jae C. Hong/AP)
    An aerial view shows the devastation left by the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades section of Los Angeles Monday. (Jae C. Hong/AP)

    California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order on Monday reiterating that people who are rebuilding their homes following this month's deadly wildfires are not subject to environmental permitting requirements laid out in the California Coastal Act.

    The order was made in response to recent guidance issued by the Coastal Commission suggesting that some rebuilding homeowners could still be subject to the rules.

    "That legally erroneous guidance threatened to create confusion and delay in rebuilding efforts for impacted communities," Newsom's office said, noting that the governor has already issued two executive orders waiving the California Environmental Quality Act and the Coastal Act for those whose homes were damaged or destroyed by the wildfires.

    “As the state helps the Los Angeles area rebuild and recover, we will continue to remove barriers and red tape that stand in the way," Newsom said in a statement.

  • Map shows where fires are currently burning in Southern California

  • Winter storm warning for Southern California mountains

    In addition to the rain in Los Angeles, there is a winter storm warning in effect until 4 p.m. for the San Gabriel Mountains and upper elevations of San Bernardino and Riverside counties, with a foot of snow or more possible in some areas.

    National Weather Service
    National Weather Service

    Snow has already forced the closure of Interstate 5 in Castaic, Calif., where the Hughes Fire exploded last week.

  • Palisades, Eaton and Hughes fires are over 90% contained

    There are now four active wildfires in Southern California totaling more than 57,000 acres, according to Cal Fire:

    • Palisades Fire (Los Angeles County): 23,448 acres, 90% containment

    • Eaton Fire (Los Angeles County): 14,021 acres, 98% containment

    • Hughes Fire (Los Angeles County): 10,425 acres, 95% containment

    • Border 2 Fire (San Diego County): 6,625 acres, 43% containment

  • Trump: 'The federal government is standing behind you 100%'

    From left: Karen Bass, Melania Trump, Donald Trump, unidentified man
    President Trump at a fire emergency briefing in Los Angeles. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)

    After touring Pacific Palisades, where thousands of homes and businesses were destroyed after two weeks of raging wildfires, President Trump held a roundtable event with California politicians, police and fire officials.

    "I don't think you can realize how rough it is, how devastating it is until you see it," Trump said of the fire damage.

    The president said that "the federal government is standing behind you 100%," but lamented that "this is already the most expensive natural disaster in U.S. history. The numbers are going to be staggering."

    Trump also said he would facilitate an increase the flow of water from the northern part of the state to the south.

    "I'm signing an executive order to open up the pumps and valves in the north. We want to get that water pouring down here as quickly as possible," Trump said. "Hundreds of millions of gallons of water flow down into Southern California and that will be a big benefit to you," though it was unclear precisely to what the president was referring.

    In recent weeks, Trump has criticized Gov. Gavin Newsom, saying he “refused to sign the water restoration declaration.”

    Newsom responded, “There is no such document as the 'water restoration declaration.' That is pure fiction.”

  • 'We're going to need your help,' Newsom tells Trump

    Donald Trump with California Gov. Gavin Newsom
    President Trump with California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday. (Mark Schiefelbein/AP)

    Gov. Gavin Newsom warmly greeted President Trump on the tarmac at Los Angeles International International Airport on Friday afternoon, and said that his state would need federal help to deal with the ongoing wildfire disaster that has so far destroyed more than 14,000 structures and resulted in the deaths of at least 28 people.

    Trump, who has expressed reluctance to offer federal funds to the state, spoke to reporters first. "I appreciate the governor coming out and meeting me," he said, adding, "We want to get it fixed. We want to get the problem fixed."

    Newsom then addressed reporters before speaking to the president directly.

    "Most importantly, thank you for being here," he said. "It means a great deal to all of us. Not just the folks in Palisades, but in Altadena, that were devastated. We're going to need your support. ... You were there for us during COVID. I don't forget that, and I have all the expectations that we will be able to work together."

  • Border 2 Fire forces school closures

    More than a dozen schools in the Chula Vista, Calif., school district were closed Friday "due to ongoing safety concerns related to the Border 2 Fire," San Diego's Office of Education said. Schools in four other school districts were closed due to power outages stemming from the fire.

    Schools that remained open were on a "rainy day schedule due to poor air quality."

  • Pasadena mayor calls on Trump to 'set politics aside'

    As President Trump threatens to withhold federal aid from California in the wake of this month's devastating wildfires, city and state officials are urging him not to play politics with relief efforts.

    “I'm calling on all sides, including President Trump, to set politics aside," Pasadena Mayor Victor Gordo said on CNN Friday. "This is not a time to engage in political gamesmanship, to hold hostage entire communities or even threaten communities with withholding desperately needed aid at a time that they need it most."

    Pasadena and Altadena were devastated by the Eaton Fire. Trump is scheduled to arrive in Los Angeles on Friday afternoon and tour damage from the Palisades Fire.

    "I can't believe that President Trump or anyone else can visit these sites of devastation and maintain a political position that keeps aid from coming to these families," Gordo said. "It's never been done before. I'm not aware of assistance being conditioned anywhere else in the country. It's inhumane to do that."

    He added: "President Trump, we need your help."

  • This map shows where fires are currently burning in Southern California

    Note: The Gibbel (Riverside County, 15 acres, 90% containment) and Gilman fires (San Diego County, 2 acres, 100% containment) are not shown.

  • Hughes Fire now over 50% contained

    A firefighter sprays water on the Hughes Fire along a roadside in Castaic, California.
    A firefighter sprays water on the Hughes Fire along a roadside in Castaic, Calif., Wednesday. (Ethan Swope/AP)

    Firefighting crews continue to make progress on the Hughes Fire, which has scorched more than 10,000 acres since it erupted near Castaic Lake, Calif., on Wednesday.

    According to Cal Fire, the fire is 56% contained.

    Nearly 54,000 residents in the Castaic area were still under evacuation warnings on Thursday, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said. But so far there have been no reports of homes or other structures burned.

  • Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag sue city of Los Angeles after losing their home in the Palisades Fire

    Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt.
    Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt at an event in Los Angeles last October. (Paul Archuleta/Getty Images)

    Reality TV stars Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag, who lost their home in the Palisades Fire, are suing the city of Los Angeles, alleging officials mismanaged the water supply ahead of the blaze.

    The lawsuit, according to People magazine, was filed in California's Superior Court in Los Angeles County on Tuesday. Pratt and Montag said the city failed to fix the 117-million-gallon Santa Ynez Reservoir — which has been offline for nearly a year — despite it being in a fire-prone area.

    "With the Santa Ynez Reservoir effectively out of commission, hydrants in Pacific Palisades failed," their lawsuit states.

    The Hills alums are seeking unspecified damages.