Heavy rain, mudslide threats in LA fire zones force residents to evacuate again

After fleeing the costliest wildfires in California history, stormy weather in Los Angeles has forced some residents to evacuate once again — this time, from mud and flooding that could wash poisonous chemicals into storm drains, beaches and oceans, authorities said.As heavy rain on Wednesday and Thursday drenched the scorched, vegetation-free fire hillsides, the LA Fire Department issued mandatory evacuation orders for certain residences at risk of mudslides and flash floods in and around the Palisades, Sunset and Hurst Fire scars.Evacuation “warnings” through Friday afternoon were issued for tens of thousands of others — meaning they should be packed and ready to go at a moment’s notice.Firefighters are being dispatched to ensure the most at-risk residents have vamoosed, and any resident can pick up free sandbags at fire stations to barricade their properties.Meanwhile, LA Mayor Karen Bass issued an emergency executive order to shore up the fire zones and prevent “fire-related hazardous pollutants” from washing into sewers, beaches, and oceans.The muddy mayhem comes just two weeks after another bout of rain and mud shut down roads and stranded vehicles in northern LA — including the emergency vehicles deployed to contain the still-smoldering blazes.Meanwhile, large swaths of the Pacific Palisades remain closed off to all non-residents, with security checkpoints around the perimeter and a curfew in place.Not only could the rain pollute local environments with toxic runoff, but it may put a damper on federal government efforts to clear out the fire debris by the end of the month.Desperate to ditch the detritus, authorities designated four public spaces around the county as temporary dump sites for potentially hazardous waste — outraging local communities who were not informed ahead of time....