In 2018, Montecito, a town 80 miles (130 kilometers) up the coast from Los Angeles, was ravaged by mudslides after a downpour hit mountain slopes burned bare by a huge wildfire. Twenty-three people died, and hundreds of homes were damaged.

Fire-weary Los Angeles is in line for at least a brief reprieve from the dryness and wind that have fueled devastating wildfires in Southern California this month. LA and surrounding areas are set to receive a small but measurable amount of rain this weekend,