Mandatory and voluntary evacuation notices were issued Monday for multiple communities throughout Southern California charred by the wildfires ahead of possible heavy downpours from a storm moving into the region.
Mandatory evacuation orders have been issued for about 180 homes in burn areas of Duarte, while hillside areas of Burbank are under voluntary evacuation warnings.
Orders have also been issued for parts of Santa Barbara County, the Ojai area in Ventura County and canyon areas in the northeast San Fernando Valley. Voluntary evacuations were ordered for parts of Corona.
Several inches of rain and possible floods were forecast Monday and Tuesday for the first storm of the rainy season. Stronger rains and even thunderstorms were expected Monday afternoon and through Tuesday.
Homeowners in any recently burned area were advised to take precautionary measures, such as stacking sandbags and using K-rails, to divert the flow of water and any mud.
BURBANK:
In Burbank, voluntary evacuation warnings were issued for hillside burn areas starting 10 p.m. and lasting until at least 6 a.m. Tuesday, if not longer.
The Burbank warnings applied to the following locations: Country Club Dr above Via Montana; all of Hamline Place; 925-1030 Groton Drive; 830-849 Stephen Road; 907-936 Irvine Drive; 2906 & 2934 Olney Place; 2934 Remy Place; 2949 Mystic View Place; 3430-3436 Brace Canyon Rd; 3301-3310 Brookshire Court; 3318, 3321 & 3322, 3422 Wedgewood Court; 3514-3519 Folkstone Court; 3529-3530 Castleman Ln.
An evacuation site is available in Burbank at McCambridge Recreation Center, 1515 N. Glenoaks Blvd.
CORONA:
A voluntary evacuation notice has been issued for areas burned by the Canyon Fire.
The Corona Police Department has compiled a list of addresses affected by the evacuation.
Starting Monday at 6 p.m. only residents will be allowed in the voluntary evacuation areas. Residents should be prepared to be prevented from returning to their homes if conditions worsen.
DUARTE:
Duarte issued the mandatory evacuation orders for homes in the Fish Fire burn area, starting Monday at 7 p.m.
An evacuation center is being established by the Red Cross at the Duarte Community Center, 1600 Huntington Drive.
Classes at Valley View Elementary School, 237 Mel Canyon Road, have been canceled Tuesday.
Street closures are also being implemented at Royal Oaks and Greenbank, Bettyhill and Conata, Royal Oaks and Mel Canyon, Fish Canyon at Mel Canyon, Mountaincrest and Deerlane, and Brookridge and Tannencrest.
LONG BEACH:
Long Beach is offering sand and sand bags for residents to help protect their homes. Officials note it is illegal to take sand directly from the beaches.
Sand is available to Long Beach residents, who are required to bring IDs, at the following locations: Fire Station 7, 2295 Elm Ave.; Fire Station 12, 1199 E. Artesia Blvd.; Fire Station 13, 2475 Adriatic Ave.; Fire Station 14, 5200 Eliot Ave.; Long Beach Public Works/Public Service Yard, 1651 San Francisco Ave., at Esther Street Gate (sand only, no bags available; open any time of day); Parking lot, 72nd Place and Ocean Boulevard (sand only, no bags available; open any time of day)
Empty sand bags are available at all neighborhood fire stations and at the Beach Operations building located at 2100 E. Ocean Boulevard (enter through Junipero Avenue).
SAN FERNANDO VALLEY:
In the San Fernando Valley, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department issued mandatory evacuation orders for Kagel Canyon, Lopez Canyon and Little Tujunga Canyon areas.
The Creek Fire, which burned 15,619 acres, erupted about four miles east of Sylmar on Dec. 5 around 3:40 a.m. It destroyed 60 homes and damaged 55 others.
Authorities said an evacuation center was set up at Sun Valley Recreation Center, 8133 Vineland Ave.
Anyone with large animals to evacuate can take them to Pierce College in Woodland Hills.
The Hansen Dam Equestrian Center, which has in the past been used to shelter evacuated animals, is closed for the rain.
Kagel, Lopez and Little Tujunga canyons are the first areas to be under mandatory evacuations amid mudslide concerns for multiple burned regions in Los Angeles and Ventura counties.
Road closures were also being implemented in the burn areas. These roads will be closed, with access granted only to residents with proper identification: Sunland Boulevard, from Fenwick Boulevard to La Tuna Canyon Road. And La Tuna Canyon Road from the 210 Freeway to Sunland Boulevard.
Also the eastbound 210 Freeway offramp at Sunland will be closed.
SANTA BARBARA COUNTY:
Evacuation orders were issued Sunday night for areas in Santa Barbara County which were affected by the Thomas, Whittier, Sherpa and Rey fires.
A mandatory evacuation order was issued for unincorporated county areas that include Montecito, Summerland and Carpinteria including all areas north of Hwy 192, east of Cold Springs Road, and west of Hwy 150/the county line. Other areas include along Tecolote Canyon, Eagle Canyon, Dos Pueblos Canyon, Gato Canyon, and the Whittier burn areas near Goleta.
A voluntary evacuation warning was issued for all areas south of Hwy 192 to the ocean and east of Hot Springs Road/Olive Mill Road to Hwy 150/the county line.
An evacuation center opened at Santa Barbara City College, 721 Cliff Dr.
VENTURA COUNTY:
In the Ojai area, mandatory evacuations were ordered for residents of Matilija Canyon to North Fork and Wheeler Gorge. Residents were advised to leave immediately as significant rainfall was expected that could lead to mud and debris flows.
Highway 33 is closed in Ojai north of Fairview Road to Rose Valley Road, according to the CHP.
An alternate route is S/R 150 to S/R 126 to Interstate 5.
For many residents who live in that area, that road is one of two main routes in and out of town. The other is Highway 150.
"It's everything. We are very closed off if we don't have those roads," said Tammy Bernardi, a local business owner.
Voluntary evacuations were advised for Casitas Springs, Nye Road, La Conchita, and the area west of Thomas Aquinas College along Highway 150.
An evacuation center was set up at the gymnasium of Ventura City College, 4667 Telegraph Road.
The evacuation notices are being issued as Southern California faces a major rainstorm, following months of dry weather and raging brush fires that left hillsides stripped bare.
WESTWOOD
An evacuation shelter was opened at Westwood Recreation Center, 1350 S. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles in anticipation of debris flow in areas near the Skirball Fire burn. The shelter can accommodate pets.
City News Service contributed to this report.
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