Station Fire Leaves Conditions Ripe For Major Mudslides During Rainy Season

LA CANADA FLINTRIDGE, CA - OCTOBER 8: County workers add sand bags to concrete K-rails to divert mud flows around homes in advance of the first rain storm since before the massive Station fire began for the possible major mudslides below the rugged San Gabriel Mountains, scorched and denuded by the 250-square-mile blaze, on October 9, 2009 in La Canada Flintridge, California. This week, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) released a much-anticipated report that estimates the likelihood of debris flows in 678 drainage basins in the area burned by the wildfire and includes maps of potential paths of destruction. The report concludes that there is an 80% likelihood of flows with very little rain because of the lack of vegetation to hold the hills in place. 12 hours of gentle sustained rain could cause mud and debris flows containing up to 100,000 cubic yards of debris, enough to cover a football field under about 60 feet of mud, and dangerous debris flows could reach miles into the cities. Ironically, California is in disparate need of rain because of prolonged drought conditions that have led to mandatory water rationing in cities, fallowed waterless farms and skyrocketing unemployment among farm workers. The arson-sparked Station fire began on August 26 and firefighters, unable contain more than 98 percent of it because of remote terrain, expect parts of it to burn until cooled by winter rain or snow. It is the largest in Los Angeles County history and the tenth largest ever fought in California. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)