No flash flooding, debris flows reported after Inland Empire storm

A thunderstorm over recently burned areas of the Inland Empire prompted worries of flash flooding and debris flows Tuesday afternoon, but the area appeared to have escaped significant impact by the evening.

There were no reports of debris flows or significant flooding as of shortly before 6 p.m., said Dan Gregoria, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in San Diego. The highest rainfall, 1.62 inches, was recorded at Yucaipa Ridge.

The weather service had issued a flash flood warning for the Apple and El Dorado fire burn scars Tuesday afternoon. The warning expired at 5:30 p.m.

“Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly,” the weather service said earlier. “Excessive rainfall over the burn scar will result in debris flow moving through the Apple and El Dorado burn scar. The debris flow can consist of rock, mud, vegetation and other loose materials.”

Among the communities in the warning zone were Yucaipa, southern Mt. San Gorgonio, Forest Falls, Banning, Morongo Indian Reservation and Cherry Valley.

“If you encounter flood waters, climb to safety,” the weather service said. “Move away from recently burned areas. Life-threatening flooding of creeks, roads and normally dry arroyos is likely.”

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The warning comes about a month after the remnants of Tropical Storm Kay brought 2.4 inches of rain within an hour to Forest Falls, a mountain community north of Oak Glen, producing an immense debris flow that damaged or destroyed 16 homes and left a 62-year-old woman dead.

Authorities had warned that any significant rainfall over the El Dorado fire burn scar could lead to devastating debris flows.

The blaze, which broke out Sept. 5, 2020, west of Oak Glen, burned 22,744 acres, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

Charles Morton, a 39-year-old Big Bear hotshot firefighter, died Sept. 17 while fighting the blaze after he was “burned over,” according to a U.S. Forest Service incident report.

Authorities later concluded that the fire was sparked by a pyrotechnic device from a gender-reveal party held at a park in Yucaipa.

The Apple fire was sparked July 31, 2020, by a malfunctioning diesel vehicle in Cherry Valley and burned 33,424 acres before being contained, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

Meteorologists with the weather service in Oxnard said a flood watch remains active until 10 p.m. for the Antelope Valley and interior Los Angeles County mountains (excluding the Santa Monica Mountains), including the 2020 Bobcat fire burn scar.

In a 4:22 p.m. tweet, the meteorologists said they were watching “some activity on rain radar making its way westward from Orange County towards southern [Los Angeles County] that has potential for some showers or lightning.”