With rain possible for the weekend, Bass works to shore up burn areas

Los Angeles, CA - January 17: Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass speaks along side Steve Soboroff who will lead the LA wildfire recovery efforts at the City Service Yard on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025 in Los Angeles, CA. (Carlin Stiehl / For the Times)
Mayor Karen Bass signed an emergency executive order Tuesday to prepare for possible rain this weekend. (Carlin Stiehl/For The Times)

Mayor Karen Bass issued an emergency executive order Tuesday morning to shore up Los Angeles burn areas and protect watersheds ahead of potential rain this weekend.

The forecast, which calls for some rain as soon as late Friday or early Saturday, comes as the Los Angeles area continues to battle a catastrophic firestorm that has devastated a wide swath of coastal L.A. and Altadena in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains.

Although precipitation might seem welcome as fires continue to burn, mudslides and debris flows in burned areas can be highly destructive. The toxic remains of these urban fires only magnify the threat. Meanwhile, the region is still facing severe fire danger, which is likely to persist until Thursday or Friday.

Read more: California's fire, rain and mudslide cycle: How to prepare and stay safe

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Bass' executive order directs city crews to clear and remove vegetation, reinforce hillsides, reinforce roads and clear debris from neighborhoods and burn areas. The city will install reinforced concrete barriers and sandbags to shore up affected areas and stem the flow of toxins, according to the mayor's office. The city will also work to divert stormwater into the sewer system to prevent fire-contaminated runoff from flowing directly into the ocean.

"This is to prevent additional damage to areas already ravaged by fire, and also to protect our watershed, beaches and ocean from toxic runoff," Bass said Tuesday.

There is a 60% to 80% chance of rain this weekend in Southern California, according to Ryan Kittell, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Oxnard.

Kittell said the rain could arrive as early as Saturday evening and continue through Monday, with about half an inch total forecast for the region.

"It's not going to be raining that entire period, but there's one or two windows of opportunity for some rain," Kittell said.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.