If the rain falls at a steady, lighter rate, Southern California could be in good shape. That could mean enough rain to help ease the firefighting strain, but not enough to trigger another potential disaster. Heavier rain could mean the chance for flash flooding or mudslides over fresh burn scars.

Thousands of firefighters have been battling wildfires across 45 square miles of densely populated Los Angeles County. The two largest fires, the Palisades Fire in Pacific Palisades and the Eaton Fire near Pasadena,