PACIFIC PALISADES (CNS) - Much-needed moisture forecast for Sunday will help firefighters put out hot spots and grow containment lines beyond 87% at the deadly Palisades Fire area but concerns about too much rain through Monday has residents and first responders worried about possible mudslides.
The National Weather Service issued a flood watch from 4 p.m. Sunday through 4 p.m. Monday for the Eaton, Palisades, Franklin, Bridge and Hughes burn scars.
"Flash flooding and debris flows caused by excessive rainfall are possible in and near the burn scars," the NWS stated. "Those living in areas prone to flooding should be prepared to take action should flooding develop."
Although the rainfall totals aren't expected to be that large, the terrain in the fire areas is especially vulnerable to movement after the devastating blazes.
Malibu Canyon Road is set for closure between Piuma and Francisco Ranch roads from 5 p.m. Sunday to 5 p.m. Monday due to concern about rock and mud slides in the burn scars.
The Palisades Fire has scorched 23,448 acres and killed at least 11 people since erupting Jan. 7. As of Saturday, 6,834 structures had been destroyed by the blaze, and another 1,016 damaged. One firefighter was injured, along with three civilians, according to fire officials.
Meanwhile, previously evacuated residents continue returning to their homes, including Friday in an area that included 1190 N. Piedra Morada Drive, north of Will Rogers State Park and River Canyon Park, touching Mandeville Canyon Park on the east. Only residents were being admitted to the previously evacuated areas, and they were asked to check in at a staging area at the Malibu Pier to receive instructions from fire personnel.
County public health officials are distributing personal protective equipment to residents returning to their homes.
A curfew continues to be in effect nightly from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. in the mandatory evacuation areas in the Palisades and Eaton fire zones. Only firefighters, utility workers and law enforcement personnel are allowed in those areas.
The sheriff's department and other law enforcement agencies have reported dozens of arrests for alleged looting, burglaries and curfew violations since the fires in ignited in Altadena and the Palisades, the latter of which started around 10:30 a.m. Jan. 7 in the area of Piedra Morada and Monte Hermoso drives as the area was under a red flag warning for critical fire danger due to a historic wind event that saw gusts of 80 to 100 mph.
Topanga Canyon Boulevard between Grand View Drive and Pacific Coast Highway remains closed until further notice. PCH is also closed between Coastline and Entrada drives.
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power has reported that many customers are without power in the Pacific Palisades area, mainly in areas where workers cannot safely access homes or in areas where it is unsafe to re- energize power lines. Customers with questions about the status of their service can call 800-342-5397.
Southern California Gas Co. had shut off service to about 13,600 customers in the Palisades Fire area for safety reasons, but the utility reported Saturday that it has restored service for 5,158 of those customers.
A FEMA Disaster Recovery Center is operating at UCLA Research Park West, 10850 Pico Blvd., to provide information for residents.
Los Angeles County officials said its damage assessments can be viewed at recocery.lacounty.gov/palisades-fire. They will be updated daily in real time.
The Los Angeles County Office of Medical Examiner has positively identified 18 of the 28 people confirmed dead in the Palisades and Eaton wildfires. The list can be found at me.lacounty.gov/2025/press- releases/wildfire-update-18-victims-identified-by-medical- examiner/?utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_name=&utm_source=govdelivery&utm_te rm=.
President Donald Trump visited Pacific Palisades on Friday, touring a neighborhood with representatives of the Los Angeles Fire Department and three area residents and vowing to "open the coffers" of the federal government and waive federal permits to expedite the rebuilding process.
"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 during a sometimes contentious public briefing with local officials. "I didn't realize. I saw a lot of bad things on television, but the extent of it, the size of it. We flew over it ... it is devastation. It's incredible, it's really an incineration. Even some of the chimneys came down. When you have chimneys come down you know that's pretty hot stuff and a lot of them were down."
Trump assured them that "the federal government is standing behind you 100%." He noted that the fires are "already the most expensive natural disaster, they say, in American history. That's pretty amazing."
Trump vowed to "essentially waive all federal permits," noting that the permitting process can often hold up projects for 10 years, and he asked local authorities for assurances that local permitting also be expedited or waived -- something Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass assured Trump was already being done.
The number of personnel committed to the firefighting effort was at 1,859 as of Saturday night, according to Cal Fire.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
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