By Rich McKay
(Reuters) -A fast-moving wildfire raged across thousands of acres of California prairie near the Nevada border on Friday, while Los Angeles was in the throes of back-to-back storms that could trigger flooding and mudslides in areas scarred by January’s devastating wildfires.
The new blaze, dubbed the Pack Fire, started on Thursday on scrubland in Mono County about 150 miles (241 km) southeast of Sacramento, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire.
Having consumed about 3,400 acres (1,375 hectares) as of Friday, the fire has damaged 15 structures and forced 1,400 people to evacuate, Cal Fire said.
Most have since been allowed to return to their homes, said Sergeant Brent Gillespie of the Mono County Sheriff’s Office.
HEAVY RAIN EXPECTED TO HELP CONTAIN FIRE
The fire, which was 5% contained as of Friday, was burning about 15 miles from the Mammoth Lakes ski resort, where locals were preparing for the start of the season.
Forecasters say heavy rain pushing south from the San Francisco area could help firefighters control the blaze.
“The rain hasn’t yet put a dent in it, but it stopped it from spreading,” Gillespie said.
The storm, which brought moderate rain to the Los Angeles area on Friday, is expected to merge with a second weather system driving east off the Pacific on Saturday and Sunday, said Heather Zehr, a senior meteorologist with AccuWeather, a private forecasting company.
“It’s the same storm that brought a messy commute to San Francisco Thursday, but it’s undergoing a rapid change,” Zehr said. “Los Angeles is getting some puddling rain on the streets today, but by Saturday, Southern California will see serious rainfall.”
Downtown Los Angeles could get 2 to 4 inches (50 to 100 mm) of rain over the weekend, while other areas could see up to 8 or 10 inches, she said.
The steady deluge threatened to trigger mudslides in the burn-scarred land left after the January fires, one of the largest natural disasters to hit Los Angeles County.
“There will be flooding, flash floods and mudslides,” Zehr said. “This is definitely a big deal.”
January’s Eaton and Palisades fires killed about 30 people and destroyed or damaged more than 16,000 homes and businesses. Up to 180,000 people were evacuated. AccuWeather estimates that damages and economic losses reached $250 billion.
The storms are expected to subside on Sunday, but more rain is expected later in the week.
(Reporting by Rich McKay in Atlanta; Editing by Rod Nickel)
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