In this section of western Altadena, residents weren't ordered to evacuate until after 5 a.m., according to records reviewed by The Times. That was well after smoke and flames were threatening the area.

Why now: On Sunday morning, Altadena residents were taking advantage of free sandbags available to prepare for the rain. “We have pre-deployed strike teams and search and rescue task forces in the area to deal with any excessive rain or mud and debris flow,” Fire Captain Joshua Swaney said.

The rain that is expected to hit the scorched Los Angeles landscape this weekend may bring relief to the fire fights, but it could also bring flash floods and mudslides. Although forecasts show that the risk is relatively low, local officials are taking the warnings seriously.

Less than an inch of rain fell in most areas, but it was enough to loosen Los Angeles hillsides burned bare by the recent blaze near the Pacific Palisades.

When smoke from area wildfires billowed over the hills near Ashley Livingston-Litwin's home in Los Angeles, she quickly evacuated at local officials' orders — the first time the New Orleans

Windy and dry conditions have returned to Southern California, raising the risk of new wildfires sparking as firefighters continue to battle two major blazes in the Los Angeles area that started in similar weather nearly two weeks ago.