Rains cause mudflow and road closures

Mud and debris from soil loosened by the large Triangle Complex wildfire last month flowed through the Sleepy Hollow neighborhood on Monday but did not cause any major damage or evacuations.

About 2.6 inches of rain fell in Chino Hills in the storm. Eucalyptus Avenue, from Peyton Drive to Pipeline Avenue, and Carbon Canyon Road at the Orange County line were closed over concern about mudslides. Mudflow also caused the closure of Hay Drive at Grand Avenue in Sleepy Hollow, though it was reopened Monday afternoon.

No serious damage from mudflows was reported in areas burned last month, but Public Works Department crews used heavy equipment to clear mud from driveways in Sleepy Hollow.

Officials handed out sandbags to residents at the Sleepy Hollow community center and Chino Valley Independent Fire Department stations 2 and 4.

On the west side of the Chino Hills where 100 homes were lost to the fire in Yorba Linda, hundreds of homes in the canyon areas were ordered evacuated Monday morning because of the threat of mudslides. But the threat eased later in the day.

Meanwhile, Chino Hills state park officials were anxiously waiting for the rains to abate in order to assess any mudflows over crucial roadways in and out of the park. The park is still closed and will be for some time if roads are blocked by mudslides at the entrance to the park, said John Rowe, sector superintendent for the Chino Hills State Park.