Southern California is getting hit by a rare October storm that's pummeling the region with heavy rain and heavy winds. Mudslides are possible Tuesday. Some homes have been ordered evacuated in wildfire-scarred Los Angeles neighborhoods. Flames can leave hillsides without vegetation to hold soil in place and making it easier for the terrain to loosen during storms. The evacuations covered about 115 homes, mostly in Pacific Palisades and Mandeville Canyon. As downpours moved through the region, drivers hydroplaned and some accidents were reported on flooded roads. The National Weather Service issued flash flood warnings in several counties that recently had wildfires.

A dangerous heat wave has descended on much of California and the U.S. Southwest, with triple-digit temperatures expected along with a higher risk of wildfires. Officials opened cooling centers this week in Los Angeles and warned residents to avoid strenuous outdoor activities. California Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered state firefighting resources deployed in areas where blazes could ignite. The peak of the heat wave will hit Arizona on Thursday and Friday. Temperatures there could possibly reach 110 degrees Fahrenheit in the southern and western parts of the state.

Rising temperatures pose new challenges for firefighters who have made incremental progress against a massive wildfire in central California that has injured four people as it has become the biggest blaze in the state so far this year. More than 870 remote homes and other structures at the northern edge of Los Padres National Forest are threatened by the Gifford Fire, which grew only slightly overnight after burning out of control for days. The fire has scorched at least 131 square miles of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties, with just 9% containment on Wednesday.

Residents of a Southern California mountain community near the Eaton Fire burn scar are digging out of roads submerged in sludge after the strongest storm of the year swept through the area, unleashing debris flows. Dry weather returned to the region but the risk of rock and mudslides on wildfire-scarred hillsides continued Friday since dangerous slides can strike even after rain stops. Water, debris and boulders rushed down the mountain in the city of Sierra Madre Thursday night, trapping at least one car in the mud and damaging several home garages with mud and debris.

Rain is easing after Southern California's first significant storm of the season brought weekend downpours that aided firefighters but caused ash, mud and debris to flow across streets in wildfire-burned areas. Less than an inch of rain fell in most areas. Still, it was enough to loosen Los Angeles hillsides charred by the recent blaze near the Pacific Palisades, where crews working before dawn cleared inundated roadways including the famed Pacific Coast Highway. In neighboring Malibu, four schools were closed on Monday due to dangerous road conditions. North of Los Angeles, snowy conditions shut down the mountainous Tejon Pass section of Interstate 5.

Evacuations have been ordered for remote communities near a new wind-driven wildfire in mountains north of Los Angeles. The Hughes Fire broke out late Wednesday morning and quickly burned through hundreds of acres of trees and brush, sending up a huge plume of dark smoke near the Lake Castaic area. The fire comes as parched Southern California could get some badly needed rain this weekend. But even a small amount of precipitation could create new challenges like toxic ash runoff. Meanwhile, red flag warnings for critical fire danger are in effect through Thursday.

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More than 2,400 Kaiser Permanente psychologists, therapists, social workers and other mental health workers in Southern California have begun an open-ended strike over increased workloads and staffing shortages. The workers' union say the increases have created a "substandard" system of care. The National Union of Healthcare Workers is negotiating a new contract with the Oakland-based health giant. It says the strikers demand Kaiser hire more people to ease the burden put on the current staff. Kaiser says Monday that the union has been "slow-walking" negotiations, despite the strong proposals the health care company has put on the table. Picket lines are up in Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino and San Diego counties.