‘It’s crushing’: California cleans up mudslide damage

Sep 14, 2022, 8:18 AM | Updated: 11:39 pm
Debris from the aftermath of a slow-moving black river of sludge is cleared from a road in Oak Glen...

Debris from the aftermath of a slow-moving black river of sludge is cleared from a road in Oak Glen, Calif., Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. The mud flows and flash flooding occurred in parts of the San Bernardino Mountains where there are burn scars, areas where there's little vegetation to hold the soil, from the 2020 wildfires. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)

(AP Photo/Amy Taxin)

OAK GLEN, Calif. (AP) — Rescuers searched Wednesday for a person missing in a mudslide that swept boulders down fire-scarred slopes and damaged or destroyed 30 homes in the Southern California mountains as firefighters in the northern part of the state tried to contain an explosive week-old blaze.

Dogs aided the hunt for a person missing in a heavily damaged area of the San Bernardino Mountains east of Los Angeles where thunderstorms unleashed rocks, trees and earth that washed away cars, buried homes and affected 3,000 residents in two remote communities.

The force of mud barreling down the mountain late Monday drove a dumpster through the walls of the Oak Glen Steakhouse and Saloon. A massive tree lodged in the dining room, muck was waist-deep in the kitchen and wine bottles were slathered in mud.

“We have trees in there … 30 feet long that came straight through our building,” said Brandon Gallegos, whose family owns the restaurant. “It’s crushing.”

As the search, cleanup and damage assessment continued, firefighters in Northern California tried to tamp down a fire that flared up Tuesday and jumped a fork of the American River and on Wednesday became the largest blaze in the state this year. Evacuations were increased to more than 11,000 people as the fire threatened over 9,000 structures.

The muddy damage in Oak Glen and Forest Falls served as a powerful warning to residents of areas that have burned or are facing high fire danger of the damage wildfires can cause months or even years after flames are extinguished and the smoke clears.

An intense amount of rain even over a short period of time can have catastrophic effects on hillsides where fire has stripped vegetation that once held the ground intact.

In January 2018, mudslides thundered down a steep mountainside that burned a month earlier and killed more than 20 people in the tony beachside town of Montecito near Santa Barbara. The worst of the rain fell in a 15-minute span with Montecito getting little more than a half-inch (1.25 centimeter) in five minutes.

Jim Topelski, a San Bernardino County fire chief, said mudslides had been a concern in the area burned by the deadly El Dorado Fire that was sparked two years ago when a couple used a smoke device to reveal their baby’s gender. The couple was charged with involuntary manslaughte r in the death of a firefighter.

On Monday, nearly 2 inches (5 centimeters) of rain fell top Yucaipa Ridge between Oak Glen, home to apple orchards that are a fall tourist destination, and Forest Falls, once a summer getaway for cabin owners that has become a bedroom community.

“The mud and debris flow came down through the high steep terrain,” Topeleski said. “This entire area is blanketed with up to 6 feet (1.83 meters) of mud, debris, large boulders.”

Mudflows had washed into Forest Falls a month ago, closing roads, but damaging no homes.

Residents in the area had been warned of the danger lurking above them, so they were dismayed but not surprised, Gallegos said.

“We were just hoping and praying that it wouldn’t happen, but it did happen,” he said.

A video captured the spectacle of mud flowing like lava past the sign for Gallegos’ restaurant under sunny skies. It was followed seconds later by a faster-moving and deeper surge of sludge carrying logs and sweeping across a road.

Out of view in the video was the damage being done as tons of mud poured into the tavern.

Evacuation orders remained in two areas over possible mudslides as well as to help workers clear roads buried in muck and restore water and power.

The burst of rain followed a rare tropical storm that ended a lengthy statewide heat wave last week that had pushed electrical supplies to the brink of power outages.

While the temporary relief was welcome in the drought-stricken West, a spate of flash floods that followed have wreaked havoc in many places.

Cars were marooned over the weekend in Death Valley National Park and new flooding again Tuesday closed all entrances into the park. Only the east entrance was open Wednesday and the western entrance is closed indefinitely because of extensive road damage.

In a desert area outside Las Vegas, a stranded truck driver and two people in a van had to be rescued after thunderstorms dumped more than 2 inches (5.1 centimeters) of rain within three hours early Wednesday and washed basketball-sized rocks onto roads in Valley of Fire State Park.

It was a different story in Northern California, where the Mosquito Fire burned more buildings Tuesday afternoon, just hours after officials reported making “great strides.” The blaze on Wednesday surpassed the size of the previous largest fire in 2022, the McKinney Fire, although this season has seen a fraction of last year’s fire activity so far.

Stronger winds pushed out a smoke inversion layer Tuesday that had been stifling the blaze and gave fresh oxygen to the flames, McLean said. The area is full of extremely dry vegetation that was rapidly igniting, challenging both firefighters on the ground and air.

Scientists say climate change has made the West warmer and drier over the last three decades and will continue to make weather more extreme and wildfires more frequent and destructive. In the last five years, California has experienced the largest and most destructive fires in its history.

Firefighters were able to keep flames from crossing a key road and entering the town of Foresthill and cooler temperatures overnight helped keep it in check, fire spokesperson Scott McLean said Wednesday. He said some buildings burned, but the exact number won’t be known until damage assessment teams were able to canvas the area.

Breezes were calmer on Wednesday afternoon and crews and helicopters knocked down hotspots.

“It’s trying to come back to life,” McLean said from his perch overlooking the fire. “But nothing like yesterday.”

He said evacuations remain in place because of the unpredictable nature of the winds, which typically blow in the direction of several canyons in the area, which could rapidly spread flames if gusts pick up.

The blaze 110 miles (177 kilometers) northeast of San Francisco was one of three large fires in the state and had grown to roughly 100 square miles (258 square kilometers), with 20% containment Wednesday, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire. At least 64 homes and other buildings have been destroyed.

The Fairview Fire was burning about 75 miles (121 kilometers) southeast of Los Angeles. The 44-square-mile (114-square-kilometer) blaze was 75% contained by Wednesday night. Two people died fleeing the fire, which destroyed at least 35 homes and other structures in Riverside County.

___

Melley reported from Los Angeles. Associated Press writers Christopher Weber and Stefanie Dazio in Los Angeles and Ken Ritter in Las Vegas contributed to this report.

___

For more AP coverage of the climate and environment: https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment.

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


              Debris from the aftermath of a slow-moving black river of sludge is cleared from a road in Oak Glen, Calif., Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. The mud flows and flash flooding occurred in parts of the San Bernardino Mountains where there are burn scars, areas where there's little vegetation to hold the soil, from the 2020 wildfires. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Heavy machinery clears the aftermath of a slow-moving black river of sludge covering the road and mail-boxes in Oak Glen, Calif., Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. The muddy damage in Oak Glen and Forest Falls served as a powerful warning to areas burning or facing high fire danger of the damage wildfires can cause months or years after flames are doused. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Extensive damage from a slow-moving black river of sludge rolling inside the kitchen of the Oak Glen Steakhouse and Saloon in Oak Glen, Calif., is seen on Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. The muddy damage in Oak Glen and Forest Falls served as a powerful warning to areas burning or facing high fire danger of the damage wildfires can cause months or years after flames are doused. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Debris from the aftermath of a slow-moving black river of sludge is seen in Oak Glen, Calif., Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. The mud flows and flash flooding occurred in parts of the San Bernardino Mountains where there are burn scars, areas where there's little vegetation to hold the soil, from the 2020 wildfires. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Brandon Gallegos, left, whose family owns the Oak Glen Steakhouse and Saloon, shows the level of the mudslide damage inside the Oak Glen Steakhouse and Saloon in Oak Glen, Calif., on Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Debris from the aftermath of a slow-moving black river of sludge is cleared from a road in Oak Glen, Calif., Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. The mud flows and flash flooding occurred in parts of the San Bernardino Mountains where there are burn scars, areas where there's little vegetation to hold the soil, from the 2020 wildfires. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Heavy machinery clears the aftermath of a slow-moving black river of sludge covering the road and mail-boxes in Oak Glen, Calif., Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. The muddy damage in Oak Glen and Forest Falls served as a powerful warning to areas burning or facing high fire danger of the damage wildfires can cause months or years after flames are doused. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Extensive damage from a slow-moving black river of sludge rolling inside the kitchen of the Oak Glen Steakhouse and Saloon in Oak Glen, Calif., is seen on Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. The muddy damage in Oak Glen and Forest Falls served as a powerful warning to areas burning or facing high fire danger of the damage wildfires can cause months or years after flames are doused. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Debris from the aftermath of a slow-moving black river of sludge is seen in Oak Glen, Calif., Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. The mud flows and flash flooding occurred in parts of the San Bernardino Mountains where there are burn scars, areas where there's little vegetation to hold the soil, from the 2020 wildfires. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Brandon Gallegos, left, whose family owns the Oak Glen Steakhouse and Saloon, shows the level of the mudslide damage inside the Oak Glen Steakhouse and Saloon in Oak Glen, Calif., on Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Debris from the aftermath of a slow-moving black river of sludge is cleared from a road in Oak Glen, Calif., Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. The mud flows and flash flooding occurred in parts of the San Bernardino Mountains where there are burn scars, areas where there's little vegetation to hold the soil, from the 2020 wildfires. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Heavy machinery clears the aftermath of a slow-moving black river of sludge covering the road and mail-boxes in Oak Glen, Calif., Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. The muddy damage in Oak Glen and Forest Falls served as a powerful warning to areas burning or facing high fire danger of the damage wildfires can cause months or years after flames are doused. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Extensive damage from a slow-moving black river of sludge rolling inside the kitchen of the Oak Glen Steakhouse and Saloon in Oak Glen, Calif., is seen on Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. The muddy damage in Oak Glen and Forest Falls served as a powerful warning to areas burning or facing high fire danger of the damage wildfires can cause months or years after flames are doused. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Debris from the aftermath of a slow-moving black river of sludge is seen in Oak Glen, Calif., Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. The mud flows and flash flooding occurred in parts of the San Bernardino Mountains where there are burn scars, areas where there's little vegetation to hold the soil, from the 2020 wildfires. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Brandon Gallegos, left, whose family owns the Oak Glen Steakhouse and Saloon, shows the level of the mudslide damage inside the Oak Glen Steakhouse and Saloon in Oak Glen, Calif., on Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Debris from the aftermath of a slow-moving black river of sludge is cleared from a road in Oak Glen, Calif., Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. The mud flows and flash flooding occurred in parts of the San Bernardino Mountains where there are burn scars, areas where there's little vegetation to hold the soil, from the 2020 wildfires. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Heavy machinery clears the aftermath of a slow-moving black river of sludge covering the road and mail-boxes in Oak Glen, Calif., Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. The muddy damage in Oak Glen and Forest Falls served as a powerful warning to areas burning or facing high fire danger of the damage wildfires can cause months or years after flames are doused. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Extensive damage from a slow-moving black river of sludge rolling inside the kitchen of the Oak Glen Steakhouse and Saloon in Oak Glen, Calif., is seen on Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. The muddy damage in Oak Glen and Forest Falls served as a powerful warning to areas burning or facing high fire danger of the damage wildfires can cause months or years after flames are doused. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Debris from the aftermath of a slow-moving black river of sludge is seen in Oak Glen, Calif., Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. The mud flows and flash flooding occurred in parts of the San Bernardino Mountains where there are burn scars, areas where there's little vegetation to hold the soil, from the 2020 wildfires. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Brandon Gallegos, left, whose family owns the Oak Glen Steakhouse and Saloon, shows the level of the mudslide damage inside the Oak Glen Steakhouse and Saloon in Oak Glen, Calif., on Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Debris from the aftermath of a slow-moving black river of sludge is cleared from a road in Oak Glen, Calif., Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. The mud flows and flash flooding occurred in parts of the San Bernardino Mountains where there are burn scars, areas where there's little vegetation to hold the soil, from the 2020 wildfires. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Heavy machinery clears the aftermath of a slow-moving black river of sludge covering the road and mail-boxes in Oak Glen, Calif., Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. The muddy damage in Oak Glen and Forest Falls served as a powerful warning to areas burning or facing high fire danger of the damage wildfires can cause months or years after flames are doused. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Extensive damage from a slow-moving black river of sludge rolling inside the kitchen of the Oak Glen Steakhouse and Saloon in Oak Glen, Calif., is seen on Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. The muddy damage in Oak Glen and Forest Falls served as a powerful warning to areas burning or facing high fire danger of the damage wildfires can cause months or years after flames are doused. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Debris from the aftermath of a slow-moving black river of sludge is seen in Oak Glen, Calif., Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. The mud flows and flash flooding occurred in parts of the San Bernardino Mountains where there are burn scars, areas where there's little vegetation to hold the soil, from the 2020 wildfires. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Brandon Gallegos, left, whose family owns the Oak Glen Steakhouse and Saloon, shows the level of the mudslide damage inside the Oak Glen Steakhouse and Saloon in Oak Glen, Calif., on Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Debris from the aftermath of a slow-moving black river of sludge is cleared from a road in Oak Glen, Calif., Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. The mud flows and flash flooding occurred in parts of the San Bernardino Mountains where there are burn scars, areas where there's little vegetation to hold the soil, from the 2020 wildfires. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Heavy machinery clears the aftermath of a slow-moving black river of sludge covering the road and mail-boxes in Oak Glen, Calif., Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. The muddy damage in Oak Glen and Forest Falls served as a powerful warning to areas burning or facing high fire danger of the damage wildfires can cause months or years after flames are doused. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Extensive damage from a slow-moving black river of sludge rolling inside the kitchen of the Oak Glen Steakhouse and Saloon in Oak Glen, Calif., is seen on Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. The muddy damage in Oak Glen and Forest Falls served as a powerful warning to areas burning or facing high fire danger of the damage wildfires can cause months or years after flames are doused. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Debris from the aftermath of a slow-moving black river of sludge is seen in Oak Glen, Calif., Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. The mud flows and flash flooding occurred in parts of the San Bernardino Mountains where there are burn scars, areas where there's little vegetation to hold the soil, from the 2020 wildfires. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Brandon Gallegos, left, whose family owns the Oak Glen Steakhouse and Saloon, shows the level of the mudslide damage inside the Oak Glen Steakhouse and Saloon in Oak Glen, Calif., on Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Debris from the aftermath of a slow-moving black river of sludge is cleared from a road in Oak Glen, Calif., Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. The mud flows and flash flooding occurred in parts of the San Bernardino Mountains where there are burn scars, areas where there's little vegetation to hold the soil, from the 2020 wildfires. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Heavy machinery clears the aftermath of a slow-moving black river of sludge covering the road and mail-boxes in Oak Glen, Calif., Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. The muddy damage in Oak Glen and Forest Falls served as a powerful warning to areas burning or facing high fire danger of the damage wildfires can cause months or years after flames are doused. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Extensive damage from a slow-moving black river of sludge rolling inside the kitchen of the Oak Glen Steakhouse and Saloon in Oak Glen, Calif., is seen on Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. The muddy damage in Oak Glen and Forest Falls served as a powerful warning to areas burning or facing high fire danger of the damage wildfires can cause months or years after flames are doused. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Debris from the aftermath of a slow-moving black river of sludge is seen in Oak Glen, Calif., Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. The mud flows and flash flooding occurred in parts of the San Bernardino Mountains where there are burn scars, areas where there's little vegetation to hold the soil, from the 2020 wildfires. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Brandon Gallegos, left, whose family owns the Oak Glen Steakhouse and Saloon, shows the level of the mudslide damage inside the Oak Glen Steakhouse and Saloon in Oak Glen, Calif., on Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Debris from the aftermath of a slow-moving black river of sludge is cleared from a road in Oak Glen, Calif., Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. The mud flows and flash flooding occurred in parts of the San Bernardino Mountains where there are burn scars, areas where there's little vegetation to hold the soil, from the 2020 wildfires. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Heavy machinery clears the aftermath of a slow-moving black river of sludge covering the road and mail-boxes in Oak Glen, Calif., Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. The muddy damage in Oak Glen and Forest Falls served as a powerful warning to areas burning or facing high fire danger of the damage wildfires can cause months or years after flames are doused. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Extensive damage from a slow-moving black river of sludge rolling inside the kitchen of the Oak Glen Steakhouse and Saloon in Oak Glen, Calif., is seen on Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. The muddy damage in Oak Glen and Forest Falls served as a powerful warning to areas burning or facing high fire danger of the damage wildfires can cause months or years after flames are doused. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Debris from the aftermath of a slow-moving black river of sludge is seen in Oak Glen, Calif., Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. The mud flows and flash flooding occurred in parts of the San Bernardino Mountains where there are burn scars, areas where there's little vegetation to hold the soil, from the 2020 wildfires. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Brandon Gallegos, left, whose family owns the Oak Glen Steakhouse and Saloon, shows the level of the mudslide damage inside the Oak Glen Steakhouse and Saloon in Oak Glen, Calif., on Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Debris from the aftermath of a slow-moving black river of sludge is cleared from a road in Oak Glen, Calif., Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. The mud flows and flash flooding occurred in parts of the San Bernardino Mountains where there are burn scars, areas where there's little vegetation to hold the soil, from the 2020 wildfires. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Heavy machinery clears the aftermath of a slow-moving black river of sludge covering the road and mail-boxes in Oak Glen, Calif., Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. The muddy damage in Oak Glen and Forest Falls served as a powerful warning to areas burning or facing high fire danger of the damage wildfires can cause months or years after flames are doused. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Extensive damage from a slow-moving black river of sludge rolling inside the kitchen of the Oak Glen Steakhouse and Saloon in Oak Glen, Calif., is seen on Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. The muddy damage in Oak Glen and Forest Falls served as a powerful warning to areas burning or facing high fire danger of the damage wildfires can cause months or years after flames are doused. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Debris from the aftermath of a slow-moving black river of sludge is seen in Oak Glen, Calif., Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. The mud flows and flash flooding occurred in parts of the San Bernardino Mountains where there are burn scars, areas where there's little vegetation to hold the soil, from the 2020 wildfires. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Brandon Gallegos, left, whose family owns the Oak Glen Steakhouse and Saloon, shows the level of the mudslide damage inside the Oak Glen Steakhouse and Saloon in Oak Glen, Calif., on Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Debris from the aftermath of a slow-moving black river of sludge is cleared from a road in Oak Glen, Calif., Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. The mud flows and flash flooding occurred in parts of the San Bernardino Mountains where there are burn scars, areas where there's little vegetation to hold the soil, from the 2020 wildfires. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Heavy machinery clears the aftermath of a slow-moving black river of sludge covering the road and mail-boxes in Oak Glen, Calif., Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. The muddy damage in Oak Glen and Forest Falls served as a powerful warning to areas burning or facing high fire danger of the damage wildfires can cause months or years after flames are doused. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Extensive damage from a slow-moving black river of sludge rolling inside the kitchen of the Oak Glen Steakhouse and Saloon in Oak Glen, Calif., is seen on Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. The muddy damage in Oak Glen and Forest Falls served as a powerful warning to areas burning or facing high fire danger of the damage wildfires can cause months or years after flames are doused. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Debris from the aftermath of a slow-moving black river of sludge is seen in Oak Glen, Calif., Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. The mud flows and flash flooding occurred in parts of the San Bernardino Mountains where there are burn scars, areas where there's little vegetation to hold the soil, from the 2020 wildfires. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Brandon Gallegos, left, whose family owns the Oak Glen Steakhouse and Saloon, shows the level of the mudslide damage inside the Oak Glen Steakhouse and Saloon in Oak Glen, Calif., on Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Debris from the aftermath of a slow-moving black river of sludge is cleared from a road in Oak Glen, Calif., Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. The mud flows and flash flooding occurred in parts of the San Bernardino Mountains where there are burn scars, areas where there's little vegetation to hold the soil, from the 2020 wildfires. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Heavy machinery clears the aftermath of a slow-moving black river of sludge covering the road and mail-boxes in Oak Glen, Calif., Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. The muddy damage in Oak Glen and Forest Falls served as a powerful warning to areas burning or facing high fire danger of the damage wildfires can cause months or years after flames are doused. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Extensive damage from a slow-moving black river of sludge rolling inside the kitchen of the Oak Glen Steakhouse and Saloon in Oak Glen, Calif., is seen on Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. The muddy damage in Oak Glen and Forest Falls served as a powerful warning to areas burning or facing high fire danger of the damage wildfires can cause months or years after flames are doused. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Debris from the aftermath of a slow-moving black river of sludge is seen in Oak Glen, Calif., Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. The mud flows and flash flooding occurred in parts of the San Bernardino Mountains where there are burn scars, areas where there's little vegetation to hold the soil, from the 2020 wildfires. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Brandon Gallegos, left, whose family owns the Oak Glen Steakhouse and Saloon, shows the level of the mudslide damage inside the Oak Glen Steakhouse and Saloon in Oak Glen, Calif., on Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Debris from the aftermath of a slow-moving black river of sludge is cleared from a road in Oak Glen, Calif., Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. The mud flows and flash flooding occurred in parts of the San Bernardino Mountains where there are burn scars, areas where there's little vegetation to hold the soil, from the 2020 wildfires. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Heavy machinery clears the aftermath of a slow-moving black river of sludge covering the road and mail-boxes in Oak Glen, Calif., Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. The muddy damage in Oak Glen and Forest Falls served as a powerful warning to areas burning or facing high fire danger of the damage wildfires can cause months or years after flames are doused. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Extensive damage from a slow-moving black river of sludge rolling inside the kitchen of the Oak Glen Steakhouse and Saloon in Oak Glen, Calif., is seen on Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. The muddy damage in Oak Glen and Forest Falls served as a powerful warning to areas burning or facing high fire danger of the damage wildfires can cause months or years after flames are doused. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Debris from the aftermath of a slow-moving black river of sludge is seen in Oak Glen, Calif., Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. The mud flows and flash flooding occurred in parts of the San Bernardino Mountains where there are burn scars, areas where there's little vegetation to hold the soil, from the 2020 wildfires. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Brandon Gallegos, left, whose family owns the Oak Glen Steakhouse and Saloon, shows the level of the mudslide damage inside the Oak Glen Steakhouse and Saloon in Oak Glen, Calif., on Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Debris from the aftermath of a slow-moving black river of sludge is cleared from a road in Oak Glen, Calif., Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. The mud flows and flash flooding occurred in parts of the San Bernardino Mountains where there are burn scars, areas where there's little vegetation to hold the soil, from the 2020 wildfires. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Heavy machinery clears the aftermath of a slow-moving black river of sludge covering the road and mail-boxes in Oak Glen, Calif., Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. The muddy damage in Oak Glen and Forest Falls served as a powerful warning to areas burning or facing high fire danger of the damage wildfires can cause months or years after flames are doused. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Extensive damage from a slow-moving black river of sludge rolling inside the kitchen of the Oak Glen Steakhouse and Saloon in Oak Glen, Calif., is seen on Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. The muddy damage in Oak Glen and Forest Falls served as a powerful warning to areas burning or facing high fire danger of the damage wildfires can cause months or years after flames are doused. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Brandon Gallegos, left, whose family owns the Oak Glen Steakhouse and Saloon, shows the level of the mudslide damage inside the Oak Glen Steakhouse and Saloon in Oak Glen, Calif., on Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Debris from the aftermath of a slow-moving black river of sludge is cleared from a road in Oak Glen, Calif., Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. The mud flows and flash flooding occurred in parts of the San Bernardino Mountains where there are burn scars, areas where there's little vegetation to hold the soil, from the 2020 wildfires. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Heavy machinery clears the aftermath of a slow-moving black river of sludge covering the road and mail-boxes in Oak Glen, Calif., Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. The muddy damage in Oak Glen and Forest Falls served as a powerful warning to areas burning or facing high fire danger of the damage wildfires can cause months or years after flames are doused. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Extensive damage from a slow-moving black river of sludge rolling inside the kitchen of the Oak Glen Steakhouse and Saloon in Oak Glen, Calif., is seen on Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. The muddy damage in Oak Glen and Forest Falls served as a powerful warning to areas burning or facing high fire danger of the damage wildfires can cause months or years after flames are doused. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Brandon Gallegos, left, whose family owns the Oak Glen Steakhouse and Saloon, shows the level of the mudslide damage inside the Oak Glen Steakhouse and Saloon in Oak Glen, Calif., on Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Debris from the aftermath of a slow-moving black river of sludge is cleared from a road in Oak Glen, Calif., Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. The mud flows and flash flooding occurred in parts of the San Bernardino Mountains where there are burn scars, areas where there's little vegetation to hold the soil, from the 2020 wildfires. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Heavy machinery clears the aftermath of a slow-moving black river of sludge covering the road and mail-boxes in Oak Glen, Calif., Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. The muddy damage in Oak Glen and Forest Falls served as a powerful warning to areas burning or facing high fire danger of the damage wildfires can cause months or years after flames are doused. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Extensive damage from a slow-moving black river of sludge rolling inside the kitchen of the Oak Glen Steakhouse and Saloon in Oak Glen, Calif., is seen on Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. The muddy damage in Oak Glen and Forest Falls served as a powerful warning to areas burning or facing high fire danger of the damage wildfires can cause months or years after flames are doused. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Brandon Gallegos, left, whose family owns the Oak Glen Steakhouse and Saloon, shows the level of the mudslide damage inside the Oak Glen Steakhouse and Saloon in Oak Glen, Calif., on Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Debris from the aftermath of a slow-moving black river of sludge is cleared from a road in Oak Glen, Calif., Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. The mud flows and flash flooding occurred in parts of the San Bernardino Mountains where there are burn scars, areas where there's little vegetation to hold the soil, from the 2020 wildfires. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Heavy machinery clears the aftermath of a slow-moving black river of sludge covering the road and mail-boxes in Oak Glen, Calif., Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. The muddy damage in Oak Glen and Forest Falls served as a powerful warning to areas burning or facing high fire danger of the damage wildfires can cause months or years after flames are doused. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Extensive damage from a slow-moving black river of sludge rolling inside the kitchen of the Oak Glen Steakhouse and Saloon in Oak Glen, Calif., is seen on Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. The muddy damage in Oak Glen and Forest Falls served as a powerful warning to areas burning or facing high fire danger of the damage wildfires can cause months or years after flames are doused. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Brandon Gallegos, left, whose family owns the Oak Glen Steakhouse and Saloon, shows the level of the mudslide damage inside the Oak Glen Steakhouse and Saloon in Oak Glen, Calif., on Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Debris from the aftermath of a slow-moving black river of sludge is cleared from a road in Oak Glen, Calif., Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. The mud flows and flash flooding occurred in parts of the San Bernardino Mountains where there are burn scars, areas where there's little vegetation to hold the soil, from the 2020 wildfires. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Heavy machinery clears the aftermath of a slow-moving black river of sludge covering the road and mail-boxes in Oak Glen, Calif., Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. The muddy damage in Oak Glen and Forest Falls served as a powerful warning to areas burning or facing high fire danger of the damage wildfires can cause months or years after flames are doused. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Extensive damage from a slow-moving black river of sludge rolling inside the kitchen of the Oak Glen Steakhouse and Saloon in Oak Glen, Calif., is seen on Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. The muddy damage in Oak Glen and Forest Falls served as a powerful warning to areas burning or facing high fire danger of the damage wildfires can cause months or years after flames are doused. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Brandon Gallegos, left, whose family owns the Oak Glen Steakhouse and Saloon, shows the level of the mudslide damage inside the Oak Glen Steakhouse and Saloon in Oak Glen, Calif., on Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Debris from the aftermath of a slow-moving black river of sludge is cleared from a road in Oak Glen, Calif., Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. The mud flows and flash flooding occurred in parts of the San Bernardino Mountains where there are burn scars, areas where there's little vegetation to hold the soil, from the 2020 wildfires. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Debris from the aftermath of a slow-moving black river of sludge is seen in Oak Glen, Calif., Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. The mud flows and flash flooding occurred in parts of the San Bernardino Mountains where there are burn scars, areas where there's little vegetation to hold the soil, from the 2020 wildfires. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Heavy machinery clears the aftermath of a slow-moving black river of sludge covering the road and mail-boxes in Oak Glen, Calif., Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. The muddy damage in Oak Glen and Forest Falls served as a powerful warning to areas burning or facing high fire danger of the damage wildfires can cause months or years after flames are doused. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Heavy machinery clears the aftermath of a slow-moving black river of sludge in Oak Glen, Calif., Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. The mud flows and flash flooding occurred in parts of the San Bernardino Mountains where there are burn scars, areas where there's little vegetation to hold the soil, from the 2020 wildfires. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Extensive damage from a slow-moving black river of sludge rolling inside the kitchen of the Oak Glen Steakhouse and Saloon in Oak Glen, Calif., is seen on Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. The muddy damage in Oak Glen and Forest Falls served as a powerful warning to areas burning or facing high fire danger of the damage wildfires can cause months or years after flames are doused. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Extensive damage from a slow-moving black river of sludge rolling inside the kitchen of the Oak Glen Steakhouse and Saloon in Oak Glen, Calif., is seen on Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. The muddy damage in Oak Glen and Forest Falls served as a powerful warning to areas burning or facing high fire danger of the damage wildfires can cause months or years after flames are doused. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Brandon Gallegos, whose family owns the Oak Glen Steakhouse and Saloon, looks out while checking the mudslide damage inside the Oak Glen Steakhouse and Saloon in Oak Glen, Calif., on Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              Brandon Gallegos, left, whose family owns the Oak Glen Steakhouse and Saloon, shows the level of the mudslide damage inside the Oak Glen Steakhouse and Saloon in Oak Glen, Calif., on Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
            
              A vehicle is stuck in the mud in the aftermath of a mudslide Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022, in Oak Glen, Calif. Cleanup efforts and damage assessments are underway east of Los Angeles after heavy rains unleashed mudslides in a mountain area scorched by a wildfire two years ago. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
            
              Paul Burgess, with the California Geological Survey, examines the damage in the aftermath of a mudslide Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022, in Oak Glen, Calif. Cleanup efforts and damage assessments are underway east of Los Angeles after heavy rains unleashed mudslides in a mountain area scorched by a wildfire two years ago. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
            Flames consume an outbuilding as the Mosquito Fire burns in the Foresthill community of Placer County, Calif., on Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) Workers with the Yucaipa Valley Water District work on repairing a reservoir used as a drinking source in the aftermath of a mudslide, Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022, in Oak Glen, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) Workers with the Yucaipa Valley Water District work on repairing a reservoir used as a drinking source in the aftermath of a mudslide, Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022, in Oak Glen, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) A worker with the Yucaipa Valley Water District threads through knee-deep mud while repairing a reservoir used as a drinking source in the aftermath of a mudslide, Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022, in Oak Glen, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) Workers with the Yucaipa Valley Water District work on repairing a reservoir used as a drinking source in the aftermath of a mudslide, Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022, in Oak Glen, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) Workers with the Yucaipa Valley Water District work on repairing a reservoir used as a drinking source in the aftermath of a mudslide, Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022, in Oak Glen, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) 
              Electric poles are seen half-fallen in the aftermath of a mudslide Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022, in Oak Glen, Calif. Cleanup efforts and damage assessments are underway east of Los Angeles after heavy rains unleashed mudslides in a mountain area scorched by a wildfire two years ago. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
            
              Mailboxes are covered in mud in the aftermath of a mudslide Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022, in Oak Glen, Calif. Cleanup efforts and damage assessments are underway east of Los Angeles after heavy rains unleashed mudslides in a mountain area scorched by a wildfire two years ago. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
            
              Paul Burgess, with the California Geological Survey, walks along the town's main road in the aftermath of a mudslide Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022, in Oak Glen, Calif. Cleanup efforts and damage assessments are underway east of Los Angeles after heavy rains unleashed mudslides in a mountain area scorched by a wildfire two years ago. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
            
              Mud is cleared from a road in the aftermath of a mudslide Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022, in Oak Glen, Calif. Cleanup efforts and damage assessments are underway east of Los Angeles after heavy rains unleashed mudslides in a mountain area scorched by a wildfire two years ago. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
            
              Emergency crews ride along a mud-covered road in the aftermath of a mudslide Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022, in Oak Glen, Calif. Cleanup efforts and damage assessments are underway east of Los Angeles after heavy rains unleashed mudslides in a mountain area scorched by a wildfire two years ago. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
            
              The feet of Perla Halbert are covered in mud after she unsuccessfully tried to reach her property in the aftermath of a mudslide Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022, in Oak Glen, Calif. Cleanup efforts and damage assessments are underway east of Los Angeles after heavy rains unleashed mudslides in a mountain area scorched by a wildfire two years ago. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
            
              Perla Halbert walks through the mud along her driveway in the aftermath of a mudslide Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022, in Oak Glen, Calif. Cleanup efforts and damage assessments are underway east of Los Angeles after heavy rains unleashed mudslides in a mountain area scorched by a wildfire two years ago. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
            
              The front yard of a property is covered in mud in the aftermath of a mudslide Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022, in Oak Glen, Calif. Cleanup efforts and damage assessments are underway east of Los Angeles after heavy rains unleashed mudslides in a mountain area scorched by a wildfire two years ago. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
            Firefighters use their helmets to shield themselves from backfire, flames lit by firefighters to burn off vegetation, while battling the Mosquito Fire in the Volcanoville community of El Dorado County, Calif., on Friday, Sept. 9, 2022. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

AP

Haitian migrant Gerson Solay, 28, carries his daughter, Bianca, as he and his family cross into Can...
Associated Press

US, Canada to end loophole that allows asylum-seekers to move between countries

President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday announced a plan to close a loophole to an immigration agreement.
2 days ago
Expert skateboarder Di'Orr Greenwood, an artist born and raised in the Navajo Nation in Arizona and...
Associated Press

Indigenous skateboard art featured on new stamps unveiled at Phoenix skate park

The Postal Service unveiled the “Art of the Skateboard" stamps at a Phoenix skate park, featuring designs from Indigenous artists.
2 days ago
(Facebook Photo/City of San Luis, Arizona)...
Associated Press

San Luis authorities receive complaints about 911 calls going across border

Authorities in San Luis say they are receiving more complaints about 911 calls mistakenly going across the border.
8 days ago
(Pexels Photo)...
Associated Press

Daylight saving time begins in most of US this weekend

No time change is observed in Hawaii, most of Arizona, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam and the Northern Marianas.
16 days ago
Mexican army soldiers prepare a search mission for four U.S. citizens kidnapped by gunmen in Matamo...
Associated Press

How the 4 abducted Americans in Mexico were located

The anonymous tip that led Mexican authorities to a remote shack where four abducted Americans were held described armed men and blindfolds.
16 days ago
Tom Brundy points to a newly built irrigation canal on one of the fields at his farm Tuesday, Feb. ...
Associated Press

Southwest farmers reluctant to idle farmland to save water

There is a growing sense that fallowing will have to be part of the solution to the increasingly desperate drought in the West.
23 days ago

Sponsored Articles

(Photo: OCD & Anxiety Treatment Center)...

Here’s what you need to know about OCD and where to find help

It's fair to say that most people know what obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders generally are, but there's a lot more information than meets the eye about a mental health diagnosis that affects about one in every 100 adults in the United States.
(Photo by Michael Matthey/picture alliance via Getty Images)...
Cox Communications

Valley Boys & Girls Club uses esports to help kids make healthy choices

KTAR’s Community Spotlight focuses on the Boys & Girls Club of the Valley and the work to incorporate esports into children's lives.
(Photo via MLB's Arizona Fall League / Twitter)...
Arizona Fall League

Top prospects to watch at this year’s Arizona Fall League

One of the most exciting elements of the MLB offseason is the Arizona Fall League, which began its 30th season Monday.
‘It’s crushing’: California cleans up mudslide damage