No evacuations were ordered in La Cañada Flintridge or La Crescenta, where fire-scorched hills remain at risk of sending mud, rocks and other debris onto streets and into homes.
A brief storm in mid-November that sent mudflows into backyard swimming pools and parked cars on neighborhood streets had put everyone on high alert for this week’s weather, which was to provide the first sustained rains of the winter.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Works closed the Angeles Forest Highway, Big Tujunga Canyon Road and Upper Big Tujunga Canyon Road until further notice. Residents who live within the burn area would be prohibited from using those roads until crews inspect the roadways for damage and potential weaknesses and the closures are lifted, according to the department.
A flood watch was also to remain in effect until 9 tonight.
“We’re on full storm watch,” said Gary Boze, a Los Angeles County Public Works spokesman.
Glendale officials were also keeping an eye on Deukmejian Wilderness Park, Quail Canyon, Glenoaks Canyon and affected neighborhoods, Glendale Fire Capt. Vincent Rifino said.
“We have a lot of troops in the field,” Rifino said.
He and other officials opened the city’s Emergency Operation Center at City Hall to organize patrols and watch live footage of the debris basins. Four cameras were installed at Boston Avenue and Markridge Road, the Deukmejian Park Ranger Station, the park’s barn, and Quail Canyon and Ashram after the Station fire to monitor movement in those areas.
Los Angeles officials called for the evacuation Monday of several homes in Tujunga Canyon and Haines Canyon out of fears that a bridge there would become unsafe, county officials said.
Contingency plans for evacuations in La Cañada Flintridge or La Crescenta were not activated after the late-afternoon rain — which was expected to be the heaviest — caused little to no damage, officials reported.
Still, people like La Crescenta residents Tina Ferraro and Paddy Lock said they were ready to leave should the situation become too precarious. They also had contingencies in place should they be trapped by sudden mudflows.
“We have a game plan,” Ferraro said.
A slight chance of rain was forecast for Wednesday, with that increasing at night and up to 70% for Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.
Less than an inch of rain had fallen in the hills and Crescenta Valley region as of Monday evening, according to the weather agency.
