Southern California goes through a predictable Winter Rain and Summer Fire cycle every year.
The Fall and Winter Rains combined with mild temperatures provide a great growing season for plants, and, the arid climate and Summer heat then quickly dries out the ground cover making it perfect fuel for fires in the foothills.
When the fires burn off the ground cover, the soil loses the stabilizing plant roots. The soil is then easily washed away as mud during the following Winter runoff.
K-rail, sand bags and other barriers are set up in the Winter of 2016 to block the flow of mud in a wash above Melcanyon Road in Duarte, Calif., a threatened area below a San Gabriel Mountains burn area known as the Fish Fire.
As a "Large Loss" Franchise SERVPRO of Glendora/San Dimas & Irwindale/Baldwin Park have the resources to help whole communities with Emergency Services when Southern California needs help digging out.