Rain coming, some urged to leave Calif. burn areas

YORBA LINDA, Calif. (AP) -- Authorities are urging residents to consider evacuating areas of Southern California that were stripped by wildfires because an approaching storm could set off mudslides.

The National Weather Service said Tuesday that 3 or more inches of rain could fall on the region, with a rate of a half-inch an hour possible by late Tuesday.

The weather service posted flash flood watches for some areas.

Authorities also warned that the heavy rain on burned-over slopes could cause mudslides and slumping hillsides.

Voluntary evacuation warnings were set to go into effect Tuesday in several areas charred by fierce wildfires earlier this month.

Property owners in some areas have built sandbag barricades to channel storm runoff away from their homes.

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