Los Angeles, CA

Though this weekend’s Malibu fire is fully contained now, authorities are saying that Southern California is not in the clear yet. Light showers have been predicted for later in the week, but both climatologists and firefighters say that a little rain won’t help at all. The only thing that would deter future fires right now would be at least four inches of rain in a week, something that isn’t bound to happen any time soon. That, coupled with the warm Santa Anas from the south and the incredibly dry weather means that we’re still living in a tinderbox that could go up any time.

It’s not all bad news though. After being underprepared for the first round of fires, all fire departments have beefed up their staff with extra firemen on call, ready to go anywhere in the state if another fire should pop up. The quick response to this weekend’s Corral fire and its equally quick containment prove that a fire doesn’t have to get out of control, even in dry, hot weather. Still, most of Southern California is still on a fire alert and will be until we get some decent rain. However, if we were to get a drenching rain, some more rural areas in Orange County and San Bernadino County are at risk for mudslides. In a precautionary measure, emergency funds have already been earmarked to replenish forests that have been thinned to the point of causing dangerous mudslides, so at least now we’re trying to act before an accident happens, not after.

You can read more about La Niña and how it affects us here.

This morning at about 3:30 AM, a new fire broke out in Malibu. Sadly, already 35 homes have burned in the six hours since the fire started, and another 200 homes are still under threat until the fire can be contained and put out completely. The media is already dubbing this fire The Corral Incident, since the fire broke out at Corral Canyon Road and PCH (Pacific Coast Highway). Unfortunately for the fire fighters, the Santa Ana winds have kicked up again, so winds in Malibu Canyon are getting up to 60 miles per hour. That, couple with a cold front hovering just out of state, are keeping the weather in the 70s, which also isn’t helping.

Despite all of this, it sounds like the media — well, at least Channel 4, which I’m watching right now — doesn’t sound too worried and are very confident that the fire will be contained soon. There are over 300 firefighters out there on foot, plus helicopters and small planes dropping water and fire retardants to keep the fire as far away from houses, PCH and Pepperdine as possible.

There is also a fire warning in effect for the following counties: Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernadino, San Diego, and Kern, since the return of the Santa Anas always raises the risk of a wildfire. There will also be parking restrictions in the Hollywood hills and other fire-prone areas in Los Angeles until further notice.

To read more about the newest Malibu fire and the firefighting techniques being used, you can read more at the L.A. Times website.