California Residents in Burn Areas Urged to Stay Away Until After Winter Storm

Nancy Belanger pours water on a neighbor's fire-ravaged property in the aftermath of the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles on Jan. 9, 2025. Jae C. Hong/AP Photo

The Los Angeles city councilwoman who represents District 11, which encompasses Pacific Palisades, has urged constituents to avoid the fire-damaged area as a storm system brings rain and the prospects of landslides.

The Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) into Palisades had reopened Monday before the storm forced its re-closure Tuesday.

“It was open, and now we have a rainstorm, and a very, very difficult decision was made to again close PCH,” said Councilwoman Traci Park at a Pacific Palisades Community Council meeting on Tuesday evening.

The highway will remain closed in parts of Los Angeles and Malibu until further notice due to a storm that could bring rains to the city throughout the remainder of the week.

“We have a burn scar three times the size of Manhattan, much of which has toxic debris and burn rubble on top of hillsides that in many cases are already unstable just feet from the ocean,” Park said. This poses a risk of mud and water debris flow.

“So in an abundance of caution, the roadway will be closed through at least Friday,” Park said.

Palisades residents will still be able to access their homes via Chautauqua Boulevard by showing their resident passes.

“But we highly, highly encourage everyone to please stay out of the way and out of the area,” Park said. “We do not recommend that you come back until after this storm event is over, just because of the risks in the area.”

California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) geotechnical engineers are expected to assess the landscape before deciding when to reopen the road.

“Slopes made bare by the recent fires are at increased risk for mud and debris flow, and soft soils could make the roadway more susceptible to damage,” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said in a statement Monday.

At a virtual town hall organized last week, Bass announced that the city would reopen the Palisades stretch of PCH on Sunday at 8 a.m. Bass canceled that reopening mere hours before restrictions were due to be lifted over safety concerns.

“We continue to adapt in real time to this dynamic situation. This plan secures the Palisades and eases the strain on LAPD, whose ability to respond across L.A. has been impacted for nearly one month,” Bass said in a statement.

Bass’s office had asked Angelenos to exercise caution amid hazardous materials, unstable burned buildings, heavy equipment, and utility crews. Officials were also reportedly concerned about public safety and looting. Bass’s office was to monitor the opening closely, along with the City of Los Angeles, law enforcement agencies, the National Guard, CalTrans, and other agencies.

Rain began to fall overnight in the northwestern parts of Los Angeles on Tuesday night, nearly one month after the Palisades fire ignited Jan. 7 amid strong winds. The fire was fully contained last week. The state had made preparations for the storm where burn scars compromised the integrity of the landscape, including laying 60 miles of protective materials.