Tropical Storm Hilary brought record-breaking rainfall across the County of Los Angeles, causing flooded roads, mudslides, and rockslides, from Sunday, August 20, to Monday, August 21, 2023.
The North Region was greatly impacted by Tropical Storm Hilary and kept County of Los Angeles Fire Department (LACoFD) firefighters, along with its Air and Wildland Division, busy with multiple calls for assistance. Two notable rescues include:
1. Fire Station 84 firefighters, along with Urban Search and Rescue Task Force 136, performed a water rescue of two stranded residents in Quartz Hill on August 20. Both residents were successfully rescued, with no injuries reported.
2. On August 21, crew members from Fire Station 131, along with camp crews and a dozer team, responded to a public assist located in the City of Palmdale. Upon arrival, firefighters found a collapsed retaining wall that caused mud and debris to flow into the backyard of a home and into a neighbor’s yard, and onto nearby railroad tracks operated by Union Pacific. Firefighters cordoned off the area to prevent pedestrians or vehicles from entering the hazard zone. The incident commander immediately requested Southern California Gas Company to mitigate the gas leak, Building and Safety for damage assessment and possible evacuation of residents, along with Union Pacific to assess the status of the railroad tracks.
The gas leak was mitigated, and Union Pacific representatives inspected and cleared the railroad tracks to reopen. There were no reported injuries to civilians or firefighters. Fire camp crews remained on scene to assist with mud and debris removal.
The storm’s heavy rainfall stopped late Monday morning.
