Fire department vehicle swept into ocean in debris flow as rain pounds LA

LOS ANGELES -- One of the strongest storms of the season slammed fire-ravaged Los Angeles with heavy rain, sending streams of mud and debris across roadways and sweeping a fire department vehicle off a Malibu road into the ocean, authorities said.

A member of the Los Angeles Fire Department was inside the vehicle when it was swept off the road by a large debris flow along Big Rock Road in Malibu, a public information officer for the department said in a post on X.

"Fortunately, the member was able to exit his vehicle and reach safety with minor injuries. He was transported to a local hospital as a precaution," PIO Erik Scott said.

Storms intensified earlier in the evening Thursday as a line of severe thunderstorms stretching from north of Pasadena to Malibu dumped rain and brought wind gusts of up to 70 mph, and a possible tornado hit a mobile home park near Oxnard, California, about 60 miles north of Los Angeles, with some damage to those mobile homes.

Much of the LA area remained under a severe thunderstorm and flash flood warning until 8 p.m. PST.

Videos shared online by UnifiedLA showed the pounding rain pushing mud onto Pacific Coast Highway and closing Malibu Canyon.

Be safe and stay vigilant. #LARain is pushing mud onto PCH & has closed #MalibuCanyon. Drive with caution & avoid the area if possible. pic.twitter.com/Qp8mop5dtW

— UnifiedLA (@UnifiedLA) February 14, 2025 ]/>

ABC-owned KABC reported there were mudslides reported in the Palisades Fire burn area, including a small mudslide on Pacific Coast Highway at Los Flores Canyon Road in Malibu. Videos from the scene captured by KABC showed bulldozers pushing streams of muddy sludge out of the roads and firefighters trudging through nearly waist-deep swamps of water and mud.

Some areas in and around the Los Angeles mountains and hills were expected to see more than 6 inches of rain.

There's a big concern for flooding, mudslides, and landslides, especially in the burn scar areas from last month's devastating Palisades and Eaton fires in LA.

LA Mayor Karen Bass said the city prepared by clearing catch basins of fire debris, offering residents over 6,500 sandbags, setting up over 7,500 feet of concrete barriers, and having systems in place to capture polluted runoff.

Sheriff's deputies helped residents prepare with sandbags and passed out mud and debris safety tips, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said at a news conference Wednesday. "Our homeless outreach teams ... are actively notifying individuals living in flood-prone areas like the LA River, Coyote Creek and other key waterways, urging them to relocate."

Evacuation warnings were announced for parts of fire burn zones, including areas impacted by the Palisades Fire, and an evacuation order has been issued for parts of Sierra Madre affected by the Eaton Fire, according to Los Angeles ABC station KABC.

All Malibu schools were closed on Thursday and possibly Friday, according to the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District.

The sheriff urged residents to prepare in the event they need to evacuate.

"Unfortunately, we've witnessed numerous, numerous instances in the past of swift-water rescues where people were caught in dangerous, fast-moving water, and obviously, we want to prevent that," he said.

"Nothing that you have back home is worth your life. If you decide to stay in your property in an evacuated area, debris from the burn scar areas and storm may impede roads, and we may not be able to reach you," he warned.

The rain will subside overnight, with a chance of lingering showers on Friday.

The storm first hit the San Francisco Bay area Thursday morning with heavy rain and wind gusts up to 62 mph.

Flood watches were in effect from San Francisco to San Diego.

The same system brought snow farther north.

In the Portland area, dozens of cars and trucks were involved in a pile-up amid whiteout conditions on Interstate 84, according to the Oregon State Police. No serious injuries were reported.

Very heavy snow is also hitting the Sierra Nevada mountain range. Up to 8 feet of snow is possible.