Los Angeles County officials are preparing for potential mandatory evacuations in the Palisades, Eaton Canyon/altadena, and Hollywood areas as a strengthening storm approaches, prompting warnings for residents in high-risk burn areas. County Supervisors Chair Katheryn Barger indicated evacuation orders might potentially be issued, potentially impacting nearly 400 properties.
The looming storm arrives as Los Angeles County continues to grapple with the cyclical threat of fire and subsequent mudslides. The region experienced a notably dangerous pattern in recent years: a wet 2022 (28.40 inches of rainfall) fueled vegetation growth,followed by a drier 2023 (25.19 inches) and a prolonged eight-month drought leading into fire season. This created conditions ripe for wildfires, and subsequent rainfall seven months ago in the Palisades and Eaton Fire burn areas triggered damaging mudflows, exacerbating fire damage.
“County emergency officials are actively working to determine next steps and the timing of official orders,” Barger stated in a release issued a little after 4 p.m. today. “If issued, nearly 400 properties could fall under mandatory evacuation. Many of these are standing homes in high-risk burn areas.”
Barger acknowledged the disruption evacuation orders cause, adding, “I would rather see peopel temporarily relocated than anyone put in harm’s way. Please, if you are in an evacuation warning zone, prepare now and be ready to leave instantly once an order is issued.”
While posing an immediate threat, the anticipated rainfall could also help prevent a repeat of the dangerous wet-dry fire cycle as the region heads into fall and anticipates the winter rains. The current storm may mitigate the risk of mudslides by saturating the dry vegetation that fueled earlier blazes.
City News Service contributed to this report.
