Flash Flood Warnings Issued for Burn Areas of Riverside, Orange Counties

Flash flood warnings were issued Thursday for the Holy Fire burn areas of Riverside and Orange counties. The warnings were initially set to expire at 10:45 a.m., according to the alert from the National Weather Service. Forecasters later extended the warnings in both counties until 5:15 p.m. Officials are urging people to stay away from the recent burn areas as heavy rains will likely trigger rockslides, mudslides and debris flows, the alert stated. Mandatory evacuations related to the Holy Fire were lifted Thursday evening. But voluntary evacuations remained in place. Idyllwild, Mountain Center and Pine Cove residents were asked to shelter in place due to road closures and deteriorating road conditions, according to a tweet by County of Riverside Emergency Management Department. Grand Avenue was completely closed to traffic Thursday due to mud, rocks and water on the roadway. Authorities also issued a flash flood watch in Corona, prompting voluntary evacuation order that were lifted as of 5 p.m. Thursday. A chance of thunderstorms is also possible this afternoon with Thursday’s storm, according to the Weather Service. Rain is expected to continue into Thursday night, with showers likely to return again Friday afternoon. A chance of showers will persist through the weekend.