LA fires live updates: New threats target residents after rain brings relief

The area that has been rampaged by wildfires for the past few weeks could soon see flash floods, the National Weather Service warned.

A flash flood watch is in effect from 10 a.m. Sunday through 4 p.m. Monday in the Eaton, Palisades, Franklin, Bridge, and Hughes burn scars.

“Heavy rain over the burn scars could trigger debris flows,” the agency warned.

Shelters remain open for people impacted by the wildfires, according to state officials.

The Pasadena Convention Center remains the largest shelter with more than 300 people using it on Saturday, according to an official count.

Some of the schools in Los Angeles that were closed for fires are set to reopen in the coming days.

District officials told The Associated Press that staff has worked to get facilities ready by inspecting ventilation systems, replacing filters and installing air purifiers in classrooms. The buildings have also been cleaned inside and out.

An environmental consultant is also inspecting schools.

Dr. Lisa Patel, a pediatrician and executive director of the Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health, prised the district – but added that there is still some risk of exposure to dangerous ash.

“Children often have more hand-to-mouth behavior and their bodies are rapidly growing in these first few years, and so they can be more sensitive to this type of pollution,” said Patel. “There will be a risk for a while to come in terms of exposure.”

More rain is expected to fall today in Southern California as crews continue to battle the blazes.

The much-needed rain started on Saturday afternoon, with many areas seeing at least some trace amounts. The Hollywood Reservoir has measured .18 inches of rain in the last 24 hours. The Clear Creek monitoring station has seen .67 inches.

“Following the onset of drizzle Saturday afternoon, rain is expected to slowly increase in areal coverage and intensity through the remainder of the weekend as the onshore regime continues. We’re expecting rainfall totals on the order of 0.50-1.00 of an inch for most of the LA basin, around San Diego and near the surrounding coastal areas,” AccuWeather Meteorologist Jacob Hinson said.

A group of teens has raised more than $51,000 through GoFundMe to help their Pacific Palisades community, according to a report.

Mason Cohen, Jake Yoon and Dylan Fullmer founded Build Back Pali, according to KTLA. They have raised five figures in just a matter of days.

“Seeing parts of our hometown burning, we just felt inspired to raise money for it,” Fullmer told the outlet. While Yoon added: “This is our entire childhood and we really want to restore this as fast as we can.”

To donate to the campaign vist GoFundMe.

Here is a timeline of the major fires near Los Angeles. They have left at least 28 people dead and destroyed more than 16,000 structures.

Crews have been battling the blazes since the first one broke on January 7. But, weekend rains have brought much-needed relief.

New pictures show the dangers residents face as they clean up the extensive damage from the fires.

Toxic ash runoff is a dangeorus mixture of all the burned items from the fire along with materials designed to help the blazes.

The blazes can unleash chemical reactions on paint, furniture, building materials, cars and electronics, according to the Associated Press. The ash can include lead, abestos or arsenic.

The ash requires produtive gear to handle safely.

“Ash is not just ash. Go back to the garage or what’s in your home. What is your furniture made out of? What are your appliances made out of? What is your house made out of?” Scott McLean, a former deputy chief of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection’s communications bureau, told the AP. “A lot of it’s petroleum product and different composites that are extreme hazards due to fire when they combust.”

The major fires in Los Angeles are at least 80 percent contained, according to CalFire.

The Palisades Fire, which is the biggest and started on January 7, is at 84 percent contained. The fire has consumed more than 23,000 acres.

The Eaton Fire consumed 14,000 acres and is now 95 percent contained. The Hughes Fire started on January 22 and has destroyed more than 10,000 acres. It is at 90 percent containment.

The wildfires sweeping through LA have forced hundreds of childcare providers from their facilities, dozens of which have been destroyed, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Large numbers of working families are affected by the closures, and are now “scrambling for care,” the outlet reported, which said the fires are “dealing a blow to an already fragile sector in the region.”

Nearly 40 childcare facilities were totaled by the blazes, and another 284 were deemed “non-operational” due to ash, debris, power outages, or a lack of potable water, according to the Times, citing figures from the California Department of Social Services.