https://youtu.be/LofU0m8OsJ4 Every second counts during an emergency response emergency vehicles rely on drivers to do their part and clear the… See the most recent messages from LASD - Pico Rivera Station, Los Angeles County Sheriff, powered by Nixle Sign up to receive messages by email & text message The primary Mission of Parking Enforcement Detail (PED) is to ensure the residents of the unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County are provided with expeditious vehicle movement to help alleviate parking congestion improve the availability of parking choices and to assist the communities in addressing all parking related matters apportion scarce parking spaces for all legitimate vehicles by insuring those who violate parking regulations are properly addressed through the California Vehicle Codes (CVC) the Los Angeles County Vehicle Codes (LACoVC) and other various municipal codes Each Los Angeles County Sheriff's Station has a Parking Enforcement unit Please visit the Stations page to find your local Sheriff's Station Station Locations Please visit the LA county Sheriff's Department Pay by web site Pay by web For more street services in LA County please report your problem here: Public Works Los Angeles County To contact the proper Sheriff's station for your parking concerns and to send an email request for service; first determine who services your address by entering the area location address and click the "Find" button Captain Hutak began her Sheriff’s Department career in 1999 with the last graduating class of the millennium She was then assigned to Twin Towers Correctional Facility Her career across all four ranks from deputy to sergeant to lieutenant and now captain has included assignments at five patrol stations: Century Station West Hollywood Station and now Pico Rivera Station which covers both the City of Pico Rivera and the Unincorporated areas of West Whittier and Los Nietos She has also worked at specialized assignments such as the Special Enforcement Bureau South Patrol Division and a sergeant executive aide and Community Partnerships Bureau as a lieutenant Captain Hutak was featured in the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department 100th Anniversary of Female LASD Deputies display a tribute highlighting the history of women in law enforcement and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Captain Hutak has a desire not only to preserve the legacy of women in law enforcement but to mentor and empower others to achieve their career goals she was also featured on the television reality show “Boot Camp” where she was selected as one of twelve contestants out of more than 5000 applicants and represented the Sheriff’s Department on a national platform Captain Hutak is an avid fitness enthusiast and coach With her nearly four decade-long career as a competitive athlete coupled with undergraduate and graduate degrees in the fields of Kinesiology and Sports Science her passion is to share that knowledge and inspire others not only to strive for top sports performance but also to live healthy lifestyles Captain Hutak can most often be found working out or enjoying a variety of outdoor recreational activities She is the proud parent of a teenage son and an adult stepson Pico Rivera is set to add a new stop on Metro's E Line Well before either of those transportation projects are realized the city is taking steps to rezone surrounding sites in a bid to generate new housing The Washington and Rosemead Boulevards Transit-Oriented Development Specific Plan would be oriented around the intersection of those two streets where the aforementioned BRT and light rail lines would intersect A total of 305 acres of land are included in the proposed specific plan almost all of which is developed with a blend of industrial The specific plan would be divided into seven zones with total capacity for up to 2,336 new residential units and nearly 5,890,000 square feet of non-residential uses (including shops Though the environmental report remains light on specifics the plan also calls for guidelines regarding mobility and public realm improvements including the addition of multi-use pathways and protected bike lanes where possible and upgrades to sidewalks and streets in association with new development those transportation projects could open between 2029 and 2032 Twitter / Facebook / LinkedIn / Threads / Instagram / Bluesky Welcome, Mickeymickey@disney.comManage MyDisney AccountLog OutFirefighter injured while battling flames in Pico RiveraMonday 2025A firefighter was injured while battling a fire at a commercial storage yard in Pico Rivera.PICO RIVERA (KABC) -- A firefighter was injured while battling a fire at a commercial storage yard in Pico Rivera The incident happened shortly after 10 p.m according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department The firefighter was injured after a train came through the yard and ran over a hose he was carrying He was transported to a hospital with moderate injuries It took crews about an hour to extinguish the flames Solar Power World By | April 23 The national SolSmart program a free technical assistance and solar readiness initiative This award recognizes the City’s leadership in improving access to affordable solar energy at the local level Pico Rivera is the first local government in California’s Gateway Cities region to achieve SolSmart designation “This designation truly reflects our City’s strong commitment to environmental leadership and equity for our community,” said Pico Rivera City Manager Steve Carmona “We’re honored to be a model for cities across California and the nation that are striving to make clean energy more accessible for everyone.” led by the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) and the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) recognizes local governments that improve access and streamline permitting for residential and commercial solar installations “I want to extend a heartfelt thank you and congratulations to the city staff who updated the website worked to adopt automated solar permitting and the many other things that went into this Gold designation…These changes — some small all impactful — make a real difference in lowering costs and making it easier to deploy solar in Pico Rivera,” said Leslie Graham Graham awarded city staff their SolSmart Gold plaque in person to celebrate their achievement The City’s Power Choice program offered through Pico Rivera Innovative Municipal Energy (PRIME) played a significant role in the achievement of its Gold status Power Choice offers Pico Rivera residents and businesses access to solar energy and battery storage systems with no upfront cost and no credit check required Participants enjoy long-term bill savings and benefit from emergency backup power during outages via battery storage systems installed at their homes This program is opening up access for people who would otherwise be unable to install solar energy “Power Choice is a game-changer for our community,” Carmona said “It is helping residents take control of their energy use and gain peace of mind without the barriers that have kept so many from going solar in the past.” are taking advantage of SolSmart’s free technical assistance Virgin Islands have earned SolSmart designation Kelsey Misbrener is currently managing editor of Solar Power World and has been reporting on policy Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Copyright © 2025 WTWH Media LLC. All Rights Reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media Privacy Policy | RSS Learn how to describe the purpose of the image (opens in a new tab) Leave empty if the image is purely decorative We're working on a visual shortcode editor until then please follow these instructions Email us to support@plugin.builders for any problems, we'll be fast. But instead they got a tornado Thursday morning that downed trees and damaged several homes. The tornado uprooted multiple trees along its path, sending some crashing into vehicles and homes. A brick wall collapsed in Edgar Reynoso’s backyard, but the rest of his home was relatively untouched by the strong winds. When he looked outside his window around 3:15 a.m., he saw lightning strike across the sky. Then he heard the winds gusting through his street. “It’s my first tornado,” he said looking at his collapsed wall. “It’s my first time living through it and it was ... it was pretty scary.” California A major storm continued to wallop much of Southern California on Thursday morning, bringing evacuation warnings, fears of mudslides and heavy mountain snow. The National Weather Service confirmed a tornado touched down in Pico Rivera early Thursday with wind gusts up to 85 mph. The tornado formed around 3:15 a.m. and traveled roughly a mile. Meteorologist Ariel Cohen with the National Weather Service walked the path of the tornado. The tornado uprooted multiple trees along its path in Pico Rivera, sending some crashing into vehicles and homes. (Ringo Chiu / For The Times) The tornado measured as an EF0, the lowest rating on a scale of 0 to 5 and measured about 80 yards wide. The tornado is on the upper end of the lowest rating of the EF scale, according to Cohen. The damage pattern of the tornado is consistent with “a small, weak, brief tornado,” Cohen said. “While brief, it was still damaging,” Cohen said. Cuba Garcia woke up because he thought somebody was hitting the side of his home. But when he looked at his home’s security camera, he realized that a strong wind had yanked out a metal canopy in his front yard and flipped it onto his roof. “He was stuttering, trying to explain to me what happened,” his mother, Dalia Garcia, said. “It was unlike anything I had ever seen before,” Cuba Garcia said. The home was relatively unscathed, but several tarps and canopies were blown into the family’s backyard. Several hours later, Dalia Garcia walked down the street to ask a crew of city workers if they could help her remove the canopy from her roof. A worker explained that they couldn’t help, because it was a piece of her own property that flew onto the roof. Cuba Garcia said he would probably have to recruit some friends to climb up on the roof with him and break apart the structure, which now resembled an upside down turtle. A meteorologist with the National Weather Service said the Pico Rivera tornado, while brief, “was still damaging.” (Ringo Chiu / For The Times) “Earthquakes we can go through in our daily lives and be fine, but a tornado ... tornadoes are just something totally different,” he said. A large branch fell on top of Jesus Velazquez’s bright orange 1972 El Camino. City workers helped push his car out of the way as they trimmed the pine tree that damaged it. “I’m just glad that we’re safe, but I have to go complain to City Hall about this,” he said. Carlos Aguilar’s dog woke him up when the wind was howling outside. He heard a loud thump and looked out his window to find a 75-foot pine tree had crashed into his yard, narrowly missing his front door. His 2018 Hyundai Elantra was not so lucky and was stuck under the tree for hours Thursday morning. “I’ve never seen anything like this,” Aguilar said. Steve Carmona, Pico Rivera city manager, said there were no injuries reported in the city and the majority of the property damage was focused on Glencannon Drive. “There’s a lot of water saturation and we’re definitely going throughout the area and identifying any trees that may be at risk and removing them,” Carmona said. Andre Garcia watched as city crews cleared downed trees from outside his home on Glencannon Drive. “I pretty much heard loud noises, like it was a train passing by and then there was lightning,” he said. “Honestly, the damage was pretty crazy considering it was a low-grade tornado.” Nathan Solis reports on breaking news with the Fast Break team at the Los Angeles Times. High School Sports Sports Business Subscribe for unlimited accessSite Map Marina del Rey-based child care tech startup Upwards lands a partnership with Pico Rivera announced a new partnership with the city of Pico Rivera earlier this month that allows child care providers like daycares and preschools to access a suite of technical tools that would automate processing tuition payments attendance tracking and sending updates to parents Upwards was founded in 2017 by Jessica Chang who started her own preschool when she had trouble finding affordable and accessible care for her kid amid long waitlists and high tuition prices The company has raised $43.3 million to date $21 million of which came from a series B funding round last year “We need to be on a mission to solve care for good,” Chang said But building out the administrative and technical capabilities of running a child care center is only half the battle for startups like Upwards which sit in the middle of a complex web of labor shortages and funding pitfalls that have a ripple effect on everyday workers The economics of child care are complex – it is both difficult for parents to afford and yet low wages and stressful working conditions (exacerbated by the labor shortage) are leading preschool workers to quit in droves The result is a shortage of early childhood educational institutions of which experts say are critical to childhood development and a boon to working parents who would otherwise have to miss work due to child care scheduling problems “We realized pretty quickly that we needed to do more and have more stakeholders involved in trying to solve care,” Chang said “This is actually when we pivoted from a B2C (business-to-consumer) marketplace to actually a B2B2C (business-to-business-to-consumer) marketplace we got both employers and the government involved in really spreading the cost of child care among not just families Upwards began partnering with cities and municipalities to bolster local child care providers through its Boost program allowing them to automate administrative tasks access long-term career mentorship to improve retention and ease the burnout that has been plaguing the sector The company has partnered with around 20 municipalities nationwide in an effort to boost the overarching pool of workers in that city we’re also supporting a larger workforce and their ability to go to work because they have child care,” Chang said Upwards doesn’t make money from child care providers that utilize Boost it constructs child care benefit programs for employers who often use it as a strategy to retain employees and makes deals with cities to pay for its services Other venture-backed companies have joined the fray to solve the issue of disappearing and inaccessible early child care a Playa Vista-based scheduling platform for the daycare sector has raised around $16 million to date to help parents who work odd hours find affordable child care when they need it An EF0 tornado was confirmed in Pico Rivera early Thursday morning amid an ongoing storm drenching Southern California The National Weather Service Los Angeles confirmed the tornado between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m. Thursday, according to a post on X The tornado had a wind speed of 85 miles per hour and was one mile in length and 80 yards in width according to preliminary details from the NWS Los Angeles and caused “exterior damage to homes and cars NWS Los Angeles said Wednesday that a weak tornado was possible in the storm impacting the state “We don’t want to rule out the chance for a brief although the overall rain is the largest hazard with this storm,” said Rose Schoenfeld meteorologist with the NWS Los Angeles in a webinar Wednesday Where is Pico Rivera?Pico Rivera is city in Los Angeles County that’s about 13 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles The city is home to over 62,000 people, according to the 2020 U.S. Census Bureau The Enhanced Fujita Scale is used to assign a tornado a rating based on estimated wind speeds and related damage, according to the NWS office in Oklahoma Tornados can receive an EF rating of zero to five. It’s important to note that the EF scale is a set of wind estimates, not measurements. A tornado with an EF0 rating had a three-second gust of 65-85 miles per hour at the point of damage, according to the Storm Prediction Center weaker tornadoes are rare but not unprecedented in Southern California The last one occurred in Montebello in March 2023 The NWS also cited a 9-mile tornado in Lawndale in November 1966 that injured 10 people and a deadly March 1983 tornado in downtown Los Angeles that killed nine people and injured 33 Paris Barraza is a trending reporter covering California news at The Desert Sun. Reach her at pbarraza@gannett.com (This story was updated with new information from City News Service.) The National Weather Service confirmed winds of up to 85 mph as the twister briefly touched down toppling trees and power lines in the neighborhood southeast of downtown L.A NWS dispatched a survey team to the area to assess the damage pattern and officially classify the event."We'd been talking about the potential for tornados in this area for days in advance," said Ariel Cohen of the National Weather Service "We had a line of intense showers that reformed over central and southern Los Angeles County This activity exhibited some weak rotation with it." including a massive tree that crashed near the intersection of Church and Underwood streets Juan Valencia was jolted from sleep when the tree came down outside his family's home."I woke up to a big boom," Valencia said describing how the tree fell directly onto their car crushing the hood and shattering the windshield.The damage assessment showed another tree ripped from the ground and leaning precariously against a house roof no injuries were reported in the aftermath.The tornado coincided with an overnight storm that brought steady rainfall and strong winds across L.A The increased precipitation rates prompted evacuation warnings in several burn zones including neighborhoods near the Palisades and Eaton fires due to potential slides and debris flows NWS confirmed a weak tornado damaged a mobile home park in Oxnard while a more significant tornado struck Montebello in March 2023 a powerful 1983 tornado with winds between 113 and 157 mph caused extensive damage in areas south of downtown L.A. including partially removing the roof of the L.A Convention Center.Cohen noted that certain areas of L.A County are particularly susceptible to these weather events "There is a local maximum of tornado frequencies across the L.A "That entire area has a very localized meteorologically prime set of ingredients that can support the development of weak small tornados We actually have seen them occur with actual frequencies that rival some portions of the Midwest."While Thursday's storm is expected to move eastward forecasters predict continued showers and possible thunderstorms throughout the day across L.A Get the latest news delivered to your inbox daily! Sign up for Los Angeles Magazine’s The Daily Brief below or click here Magazine’s takeaways on five notable topics from President Donald Trump’s first 100 days of his second term consumers are stocking up on household items and bites from THEBlvd and Hinoki & the Bird with luxe amenities and a reasonable price the Hancock Park native revisits his go-to local spots LOS ANGELES — A major storm continued to wallop parts of Southern California on Thursday heavy mountain snow and a tornado that snapped trees and damaged homes and cars Several flood and severe thunderstorm warnings — as well as winter weather advisories in the mountains — remained in effect Thursday morning as bands of heavy precipitation moved through and were expected to continue shifting south through the day Wind gusts were forecast to top 50 mph in some areas a tornado with wind speeds reaching 85 mph formed around 3:15 a.m and traveled roughly a mile through a residential area of the city Debris littered streets in the area and several large trees were snapped on Glencannon Drive a residential street where the tornado also damaged several vehicles and houses measured as the lowest level on the Enhanced Fujita scale a method used by meteorologists to rate a tornado based on estimated wind speeds and related damage The twister was on the upper end of the lowest rating a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard several inches of snow had piled up by Thursday morning The San Bernardino Fire Department said it had reports of several power outages The major ski resorts reported up to 10 inches of fresh powder and snowflakes still falling Mountain High received between 10 and 13 inches of snow “It’s safe to say this storm was the biggest snowmaker,” Ryan Kittell said of the systems to hit Southern California this winter Besides major delays in the morning commute forecasters said the worst of the storm had made its way through Los Angeles County by around 8 a.m. though residents south and east should remain on high alert we’re kind of in a showery regime (the rest of the day) with off and on showers and maybe some thunderstorms,” said Mike Wofford “It’s moved into San Bernardino and Orange County.” residents were jolted awake early Thursday to the sound of trees falling on cars and into homes and strong winds from the tornado tossing around outdoor furniture A brick wall collapsed in Edgar Reynoso’s backyard but the rest of his home was relatively untouched by the powerful winds “It’s my first time living through it and … it was pretty scary.” Cuba Garcia thought somebody was hitting the side of his home overnight but when he looked at his security camera he realized that the strong gusts had flipped a metal canopy from his backyard onto his roof As the sun came up he was trying to figure out how he would get the structure down After the rain stopped he planned to climb onto the roof with some friends and try to break apart the structure which sat on his home like an upside down turtle “Earthquakes we can go through in our daily lives and be fine Tornadoes are just something totally different,” Garcia said Much of the tornado damage was centered along Glencannon Drive crews were busy working in the area to remove downed trees as residents took in the unfamiliar scene The wind was howling so loud outside Carlos Aguilar’s home that his dog woke him up He heard a loud thump and when he looked out his window he saw that a 75-foot pine tree had fallen into his front yard The car remained under the tree several hours later “I’ve never seen anything like this,” Aguilar said In the Santa Ana foothills near Rancho Santa Margarita in Orange County, officials closed Trabuco Canyon Road, after rain swept rocks, tree limbs and several inches of mud across the roadway That area remained under an evacuation order Evacuation warnings and orders were also issued for Los Angeles communities near the Eaton, Palisades and Sunset fire burn zones before the rain Several schools in the Malibu area also canceled classes Thursday due to road closures and safety concerns from the storm with many neighborhoods under evacuation warnings the Bienveneda area near Temescal Canyon Park Old Ranch Road and Rustic Creek were under evacuation warnings starting Wednesday morning Areas east and south of Runyon Canyon in the Sunset fire zone are also under an evacuation warning an evacuation warning has been issued for Olive Lane in the Oakridge Mobile Home Park according to the Los Angeles Fire Department The evacuations are expected to last until 6 p.m officials warned residents to prepare to leave their homes before the storm The city of Sierra Madre issued mandatory evacuation orders for homes directly below the Sierra Madre and Lannan debris basins Evacuation warnings have been issued for other hillside-adjacent neighborhoods in the community Those evacuations will remain in effect through 6 p.m Evacuation warnings were also issued for homes near the San Gabriel foothills in Altadena Authorities visited properties in areas that are at especially high risk to issue specific evacuation orders before the storm “The heaviest rain has moved out of the LA area,” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass wrote Thursday morning on X “Please stay vigilant — especially in burn areas — as periods of heavy rain will continue throughout the day.” this week’s back-to-back storms have already delivered a significant dose of moisture to Southern California Woodland Hills got 1.66 inches and the Eagle Rock Reservoir received 1.81 inches Rain totals were even higher in the Los Angeles County mountains with the Cogswell Dam receiving 3.58 inches and Crystal Lake seeing 3.07 inches over the two-day period Lower Silverado Canyon received 0.91 of an inch of rain in a six-hour period that ended at 5 a.m Coto De Caza received 0.75 of an inch and Corona del Mar got 0.71 of an inch Stay secure and make sure you have the best reading experience possible by upgrading your browser LAist is part of Southern California Public Radio Officials said the tornado touched down between 3 a.m The tornado lasted 2 minutes and was around 1 mile long and 80 yards wide A possible tornado touched down in Pico Rivera at 3:15 am. Powerful winds ripped trees out of the ground and knocked down power lines. Thankfully, LASD deputies have told me no one was injured.@NWSLosAngeles will be on site soon. #LARain pic.twitter.com/BnTGIGdC5Y The tornadoes typically happen in cooler months when powerful storms like the one we just had pass through the area What we know so far: Officials said the tornado touched down between 3 a.m Pico Rivera Municipal Energy Advocates for Community Recreational Space Protection in SB-867 The City of Pico Rivera’s Community Choice Aggregation and CalChoice Associate Member, Pico Rivera Innovative Municipal Energy (PRIME), successfully championed the inclusion of critical environmental justice language in California Senate Bill 867 (SB-867) the state’s recently enacted climate bond legislation prioritizes funding for “park-poor communities experiencing a significant loss of parks or open and recreation space resulting from climate-related infrastructure projects.” This landmark language addresses challenges faced by communities like Pico Rivera which have been impacted by projects like the Whittier Narrows Dam expansion resulting in reduced access to recreational spaces “This legislative milestone is a transformative step in addressing the unique challenges faced by communities burdened by critical infrastructure projects while striving to preserve essential recreational areas,” said City of Pico Rivera City Manager Steve Carmona “The inclusion of this language ensures that communities like Pico Rivera have a pathway to access the necessary funding.” The passage of SB-867 underscores the power of local advocacy in shaping state policy Communities now have increased opportunities to secure funding for developing new recreational spaces while mitigating the impact of climate-related infrastructure projects This achievement strengthens environmental equity and community resilience setting a significant precedent for Community Choice Aggregation programs across California “We are proud of PRIME for taking this important step to advocate for the needs of park-poor communities,” said CalChoice Executive Director Jason Caudle “This effort not only showcases PRIME’s dedication to advancing environmental equity but also demonstrates the collective impact CCAs can have in shaping policies that create lasting benefits for the communities they serve.” CalChoice encourages members to stay informed about ongoing advocacy efforts and explore available resources by visiting the CalChoice website The California Community Choice Association’s mission is to create a legislative and regulatory environment that supports the development and long-term sustainability of locally-run Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) electricity providers in California We serve our members and strengthen our collective voice through education technical guidance and regulatory and legislative advocacy Sign up for our mailing list to stay current on CCA in California Pico Rivera earns inaugural platinum energy action award standing out among 27 competing cities in the region This top-tier recognition reflects Pico Rivera’s ongoing commitment to sustainability “The Gateway Cities Energy Action Awards recognize cities for their leadership in improving energy efficiency and sustainability,” said Pico Rivera City Manager Steve Carmona “Pico Rivera is proud to be the first recipient of the Platinum Award which is a testament to the hard work of our City Council residents and local businesses in creating a greener which offers affordable solar energy and battery storage systems to local residents and businesses played a pivotal role in securing this prestigious honor we’re empowering our community to embrace clean energy solutions and reduce our carbon footprint,” continued Carmona “Pico Rivera’s journey toward environmental excellence is ongoing The City of Pico Rivera extends its gratitude to the City Council for its leadership and to the residents and businesses that have embraced these initiatives When a community unites behind a shared vision for sustainability To learn more about the Power Choice Program, and to sign up, visit PoweredByPrime.org/Power-Choice Pico Rivera is a thriving community that offers opportunities to all who live Situated on the eastern edge of the Los Angeles basin and the southern edge of the area known as the San Gabriel Valley Pico Rivera is approximately 13 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles Formed by merging two historic communities the City was officially incorporated in January 1958 as the 61st city in Los Angeles County the community evolved into a residential and industrial area following the end of World War II Pico Rivera is governed by a Council-Manager form of government The voters of Pico Rivera elect a five-member City Council which in turn appoints a City Manager to carry out its policies and serve as the administrative head of the city organization ABOUT Pico Rivera Innovative Municipal Energy Pico Rivera Innovative Municipal Energy (PRIME) is a locally-run public energy service created and operated by the City of Pico Rivera renewable electricity power on behalf of residents and businesses for the benefit of the community 2025 at 5:00 am PT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}The firefighter was taken by ambulance to a hospital for treatment CA — A Los Angeles County firefighter suffered moderate injuries Sunday while battling a lumberyard fire in Pico Rivera Sunday at the lumberyard at Cord Avenue and Rivera Road Los Angeles County Fire Department spokesman Fred Fielding told City News Service That location is near Slauson Avenue and the San Gabriel River (605) Freeway The firefighter suffered what Fielding termed "an indirect injury" when a train ran over the hose the firefighter was holding The firefighter was taken by ambulance to a hospital for treatment Print As Fernando Lopez Sr watched live footage of the wildfires raging across Southern California last week The 47-year-old is general manager of the Pico Rivera Sports Arena the rodeo ring next to the San Gabriel River that has been a shrine to Mexican horse culture for decades who run nightclubs and restaurants and promote concerts across Southern California owe their American dream to the generations of Latinos who have flocked to the open-air 6,000-seat facility to see charro shows and singers on horseback while dressed in Stetsons Lopez tried to drive livestock trailers from his Tarzana home to Sylmar while the Hurst fire roared but was told that all roads were blocked. He then called Pico Rivera City Manager Steve Carmona to suggest opening up the Sports Arena for anyone who needed to evacuate large animals. His cousin, Lalo Lopez, put out the news on social and local media and got politicians such as L.A. Councilmember Monica Rodriguez to spread the word. Fernando’s son, Fernando Jr., took calls from frantic horse owners, who soon began to drop off their four-hoofed friends at the Sports Arena, including a pot-bellied pig named Elle. A shrine to horses has become a sanctuary for them. The number of confirmed deaths in the fires climbed to at least 27 after authorities said they found remains in the two major fire zones on Wednesday “Imagine your horse is trapped — you’re gonna go and try to save him no matter what,” Fernando Sr “And then imagine that you no longer have a place to put them in We stood outside the Sports Arena’s entrance Banners for upcoming shows decorated a wall They’ll soon be joined by two more: a benefit concert for fire victims on Saturday and a going-away party for the Mexican firefighters who have helped out in Pacific Palisades Horse evacuations happen almost every time there’s a wildfire in Southern California because they tend to flare up in horse country Pierce College’s equestrian center and the Hansen Dam Horse Park Horse owners from the Inland Empire to Compton to L.A County’s seven equestrian districts opened up their properties and drove to affected areas to assist in the rescue efforts Those places were used to helping out in disasters; the Sports Center was not “We brought in some horses from Malibu during the fires out there in 2018,” said Fernando Sr. “I was in South Central during the ’92 riots and in Northridge for the [1994] earthquake,” said Lalo An aerial view of the Pico Rivera Sports Arena Chun / Los Angeles Times) With us were Fernando Jr. The city is coordinating donations to ensure that the evacuated horses are fed and receive medical attention the last thing they want to worry about is their animals,” said Carmona People know the Sports Arena and trust it and so appreciate we’re opening our doors.” “Their hearts are in the right place to be wanting to help,” added Garcia because you never know when bad fortune may come to you and if we can provide a glimmer of hope to fire victims This isn’t the first time los Lopez have used the Sports Arena to stage something other than entertainment. During the pandemic, they transformed it into a COVID-19 testing station and a place to pick up supplies. When Los Angeles officials booted street vendors from a popular night market on Avenue 26 in Lincoln Heights in 2021 the Sports Arena offered its parking lot to them The market has been a hit there ever since made 600 burritos for the crew at Los Angeles Fire Department Station 87 in Granada Hills “My mom would take us to church growing up Entertainment & Arts A rodeo-sized open-air arena in the San Gabriel Valley has quietly become a home for top Mexican musical stars along with four brothers to work as braceros and dishwashers before opening a chain of nightclubs that bear Leonardo’s name The clan took over running the Sports Arena in 2012 Lalo said his late father and uncles taught him and his cousins a simple mantra: Siempre una mano pa’l paisano. Always lend your countryman a helping hand. “It’s just what we do if you’re from the rancho,” he said, before mentioning my family’s own rural Mexican roots. “You know how it is.” We walked over to the Sports Arena’s livestock holding area. The Lopez family’s small herd of horses and steers lounged around in an open corral to make room for “their visitors,” as Fernando Sr. jokingly described the evacuated equines. Across from them in their usual stalls stood the eight neighing horses. Taped to each stall door was a paper with their date of arrival and hometown: Altadena, 1/9. Eaton, 1/10. Sylmar, 1/11. “These guys aren’t comfortable,” said Fernando Jr. as he approached the evacuees. The 20-year-old heads La Noria Entertainment’s charrería team. “They want to go home.” “Check to see if their eyelids were burnt,” his father said. “And their ears.” Garcia looked at a brown stallion. “What does it mean if their eyes are really red?” the mayor asked aloud. “That means they’re really nervous,” Fernando Jr. replied. He then went to a pregnant mare. “When she was first here, she wouldn’t even come near anyone,” he said. Now, she was nuzzling his hand. A Hurst fire evacuee looks out from a stall at the Pico Rivera Sports Arena. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times) Workers are on hand 24 hours a day to tend to the horses and walk them every day, although Fernando Jr. said their owners prefer to come by and do it themselves. Some have admitted to losing everything, he said; others have kept their situations private. Despite being in unfamiliar territory, taking the horses for a trot is a way for the owners “to get their minds off of all the problems they’re going to have to face.” “They don’t know where the water is. They don’t know where the food is,” Fernando Jr. said. “They don’t know where anything is, because this is not where they’re based. It’s like letting someone borrow your shoes.” He checked on another horse. “But the owners appreciate all of this. They’ll say, ‘Can we pay you for your help?’ But no, no.” El Monte resident Baltazar Almanza went from stall to stall with a wheelbarrow stacked with small alfalfa bales. He hung them on tack racks. The horses quietly ate. “It’s all very sad,” the 79-year-old said in Spanish. He has worked at the Sports Arena for more than 20 years. “Life’s tough — don’t think it’s easy. But we’re moving ahead — only thing to do.” Fernando Sr. showed me a video on his phone from the Hurst fire. In darkness lighted only by flames, people rushed to get horses out of what looked like hell. “You think they’re not scared? They’re not traumatized?” he said of the horses. “I feel bad, but I’m relieved right now that they’re here. They’re just chilling.” Travel & Experiences Those affected by the fires can pick up new and gently used clothes, shoes, accessories, essentials, toys and more, all free of charge. He worries for the weeks and months ahead. During the pandemic, Sports Arena workers frequently found cast-off, half-starved horses roaming the San Gabriel riverbed and its trails. They would take in the strays, nurse them to health, then turn them over to horse nonprofits. “I can see people losing everything and having to give up their horses,” Fernando Sr. said. “But you don’t abandon a horse like that. You don’t do that to any animal.” We stood next to a huge horse trailer. He looked back at his guests. “Ahora sí se pone cabrón.” Climate & Environment This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page There’s no official confirmation yet but I’ve received word of a bicycling death in Pico Rivera A local resident reports driving past the aftermath of a collision involving a bicyclist on Whittier Blvd at Acacia Ave on Sunday afternoon so be forward if that’s not something you want to see you can clearly see a mangled bicycle in the street 30 to 40 feet in front of a car with a shattered windshield suggesting the victim was struck at some speed According to a Facebook post He’s identified in the post only as a young man; a commentator describes him as her nephew that’s all the information we have at this time But at least the driver stuck around this time it is at least the 49th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year and the 15th that I’m aware of in Los Angeles County My deepest sympathy and prayers for the victim and his loved ones This was my boyfriend you took my baby I miss him so much like you don’t believe wtf where u doing going so fast and didn’t see him and idk why the hell he was in the street for like wtf man this is so unfair I love you Michael Lopez right before my birthday this month on the 23Rd we had plans to go to a room for thanks giving and stuff and how I’m doing this alone I can’t believe this shit Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive Get the best experience and stay connected to your community with our Spectrum News app. Learn More EDITOR'S NOTE: Multimedia journalist Anna Albaryan visited Pico Rivera following the recent tornado and spoke to residents who were affected by the rare weather event — The National Weather Service confirmed that a tornado occurred early Thursday morning in Pico Rivera a rating that measures its strength and considers the different types of damage to structures and trees An EF2 or higher is considered a significant tornado city officials said the city's Emergency Operations Center was activated and crews were mobilized to assess and mitigate hazards.  “We are grateful that there have been no reported injuries I want to commend our emergency responders and city personnel for their immediate action in keeping our community safe,” Mayor John R “Our top priority is ensuring all hazards are addressed and utilities are restored as quickly as possible.” The NWS sent a team to survey the aftermath and reported the tornado had a wind speed of 85 mph and lasted about 2 minutes as it swept through the area teams were actively working to clear debris assess structural damages and restore essential services Residents were urged to report hazards such as downed power lines gas leaks or unsafe structures to the city's Public Works Department at 562-801-4421 There have been other tornadoes reported in SoCal including one in Oxnard this year that passed through a mobile home park in February.  The NWS said there is the potential for more small A possible tornado touched down in Pico Rivera at 3:15 am. Powerful winds ripped trees out of the ground and knocked down power lines. Thankfully, LASD deputies have told me no one was injured.@NWSLosAngeles will be on site soon. #LARain pic.twitter.com/BnTGIGdC5Y Print After days of light rain a major storm walloped parts of Southern California on Thursday strong winds and a tornado that snapped trees and damaged homes Residents in a Pico Rivera neighborhood were jolted awake when a tornado with wind speeds reaching 85 mph formed around 3:15 a.m uprooting trees and tossing around outdoor furniture It’s my first tornado,” Edgar Reynoso said as he assessed a collapsed wall in his backyard “It’s my first time living through it and .. A downed tree sits on a car along Glencannon Drive in Pico Rivera (Ringo Chiu / For The Times) In the mountains around Los Angeles A winter storm warning of heavy snow and winds gusting as high as 50 mph remains in effect through early Saturday as another less potent storm takes aim at the region on Friday An additional 6 inches of snow is expected across the Los Angeles Ventura and Santa Barbara county mountains The major ski resorts reported up to 10 inches of fresh powder and snowflakes still falling on Thursday morning. Mountain High received between 10 and 13 inches of snow, while Mt. Wilson received 4 inches. Gorman, a town in the Grapevine, received an inch of snow, said Ryan Kittell, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard. Southern California is about to get drenched by new storms this week with a powerful atmospheric river expected to arrive early Wednesday Big Bear Mountain Resort reported more than a foot of snow at its three ski resorts “It’s safe to say this storm was the biggest snowmaker,” Kittell said of the systems to hit Southern California this winter Rain was still falling around midmorning in Pico Rivera as residents milled around outside in disbelief after the twister charged through Debris was scattered along Glencannon Drive and crews were working to remove several large trees that had fallen onto cars measured as the lowest level on the Enhanced Fujita Scale a rating used by meteorologists based on estimated wind speeds and related damage Work crews remove downed trees and debris along Glencannon Drive in Pico Rivera (Ringo Chiu / For The Times) Resident Cuba Garcia thought somebody was hitting the side of his home overnight but when he looked at his security camera he realized that the strong gusts had flipped a metal canopy from his front yard onto his roof he planned to climb onto the roof with some friends and try to break apart the structure which sat on his home like an upside-down turtle Though tornadoes aren’t common in Southern California the weather phenomenon also isn’t unheard of in the region a tornado tore through a mobile home park in Oxnard ripping roofs off homes and tearing down power lines The last significant tornado in the area was in March 2023 in Montebello damaging 17 structures and injuring one person the wind was howling so loudly outside Carlos Aguilar’s Pico Rivera home that his dog woke him up He heard a thump and when he looked out his window he saw that a 75-foot pine tree had fallen into his front yard The deluge of rain expected from the storm prompted concerns this week from officials and residents about the burn scars in Los Angeles County Communities near the Eaton, Palisades and Sunset fire burn zones in Los Angeles and neighborhoods in the Airport fire zone in Orange County were placed under evacuation orders and warnings ahead of the rain. Several schools in the Malibu area canceled classes Thursday due to road closures and safety concerns from the storm. Mud and debris flowed onto a closed section of Pacific Coast Highway in West Los Angeles during the heaviest bands of rain, but crews were able to clear the material quickly, according to Caltrans. Rain rates over the Eaton fire burn scar reached up to an inch an hour during the peak of the storm early Thursday. Experts say the risk of mud and debris sliding off burned hillsides increases when rain starts falling at a rate of half an inch per hour. Here’s how to prepare and what to have ready to go if you may need to evacuate during the rainstorms hitting California the area appeared to have avoided serious damage from debris flows Cameras in the region showed a torrent of water mud and tree branches flowing from hillsides in the area into basins designed to catch such materials during heavy rain In the Santa Ana foothills near Rancho Santa Margarita in Orange County, officials closed Trabuco Canyon Road after rain swept rocks, tree limbs and several inches of mud across the roadway. In San Juan Capistrano, a man had to be rescued by helicopter Thursday morning after his SUV got stuck in fast-moving water and mud in a creek along Trabuco Creek and Rosenbaum roads. The man, who was not injured, was hanging on to a tree when crews arrived, according to the Orange County Fire Authority. It is not clear how the vehicle ended up in the creek. Fire officials warned the public to stay clear of moving water during wet weather. “It does not take a lot of water to move a person or a vehicle downriver,” the fire department wrote on X. After a brief reprieve Thursday night, more light showers are expected to hit the region on Friday. But this week’s back-to-back storms have already delivered a significant dose of moisture to Southern California. Beverly Hills has received 1.29 inches of rain so far this week. Downtown Los Angeles received 1.21 inches, Woodland Hills 2.27 inches and the Eagle Rock Reservoir 1.88 inches, according to the weather service. Rain totals were even higher in the Los Angeles County mountains, with the Cogswell Dam receiving 3.74 inches and Crystal Lake seeing 3.07 inches over the three-day period. In Orange County, Lower Silverado Canyon received 0.91 of an inch of rain in a six-hour period that ended at 5 a.m. Thursday. Coto De Caza received 0.75 of an inch and Corona del Mar 0.71 of an inch, according to the weather service. The region is still playing catch-up after a drier-than-normal start to winter. Downtown L.A. has received 6.55 inches of rain since the water year began Oct. 1. That is below the average for this point in the water season, 11.88 inches. The annual average is 14.25 inches. “Our deficits are huge,” said Alex Tardy, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in San Diego. “We’re still behind 5 or 6 inches of rain all along the coast. We’re still under 50% of normal.” In the Palisades burn scar, the Getty Villa area, the Highlands, the Bienveneda area near Temescal Canyon Park, Rivas Canyon/Will Rogers State Park, Mandeville Canyon above Tanners Road, Old Ranch Road and Rustic Creek are under evacuation warnings starting Wednesday morning. Areas east and south of Runyon Canyon in the Sunset fire zone are also under an evacuation warning. In the Hurst fire area, an evacuation warning has been issued for Olive Lane in the Oakridge Mobile Home Park, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. The evacuations are expected to last until 6 p.m. Thursday, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. The areas include Carbon Canyon, Carbon Beach East, La Costa Beach/La Costa (hillside), Las Flores Creek, Las Flores Mesa, eastern Malibu, Big Rock, Las Tunas Beach, Topanga Beach Road, Carbon Beach Terrace, Carbon Beach, Rambla Pacifico, Carbon Beach West/Malibu Beach, Sweetwater Canyon, Sweetwater Mesa, Serra Retreat, Malibu Creek, Cross Creek, Malibu Colony, Civic Center, Malibu Knolls, Malibu Road, Malibu Country Estates, Puerco Canyon and Piuma Road. In the Eaton fire burn scar, officials warned residents to prepare to leave their homes ahead of the storm. The city of Sierra Madre issued mandatory evacuation orders for homes directly below the Sierra Madre and Lannan debris basins. Evacuation warnings have been issued for other hillside-adjacent neighborhoods in the community. Those evacuations will remain in effect through 6 p.m. Thursday, according to the city. Evacuation warnings were also issued for homes near the San Gabriel foothills in Altadena. Authorities visited properties in areas that are at especially high risk to issue specific evacuation orders ahead of the storm, according to the city of Los Angeles. Grace Toohey is a reporter at the Los Angeles Times covering breaking news for the Fast Break Desk. Before joining the newsroom in 2022, she covered criminal justice issues at the Orlando Sentinel and the Advocate in Baton Rouge. Toohey is a Maryland native and proud Terp. A rare tornado touched down in Pico Rivera early Thursday morning which is the weakest category on the the Enhanced Fujita Scale It occurred at 3:15 am near Glencannon Drive and Church Street as wind gusts reached up to 85 miles per hour A team of meteorologists from the National Weather Service (NWS) arrived Thursday to survey the damage NWS’ Ariel Cohen told ABC News that the event was “part of a larger Pacific storm system that brought significant rainfall and flooding impacts as well as strong winds to a large portion of coastal California” and that “this activity did spawn what we have determined to be a tornado." "This is a localized area of enhanced frequencies of tornadoes that actually rival some parts of the midwestern United States," he added Contact Job Board Terms of Use A tornado touched down in Los Angeles County early Thursday morning as a brutal rain storm batters Southern California Between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m. local time Thursday, an EF1 strength tornado occurred in Pico Rivera, California about 12 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles the tornado damaged homes and cars while reaching wind speeds of 85 mph The system snapped multiple trees in the area Video captured the aftermath of the weather event with crews working to repair damage Thursday The tornado comes as a torrential downpours battered parts of coastal southern California with the weather service warning Thursday morning that "heavy rain may cause flash flooding across portions of southern California through tonight." "Powerful wind gusts of 40 to 70 mph combined with heavy snow will create treacherous to potentially impossible travel below many major passes across the Sierra Nevada and northern California higher terrain into Thursday," according to the National Weather Service The tornadoes are far from common in California but the National Weather Service says they aren't rare either Severe F3 strength tornadoes are exceedingly rare in the state with there being no documented events of tornadoes with a greater intensity Last March, another EF1 struck Montebello, located east of Los Angeles, injuring one person and damaging 17 structures, according to the National Weather Service. In December, an EF1 struck the Northern California small town of Scotts Valley National weather mapNational weather radarContributing: Doyle Rice Anthony Robledo is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY Reach him at arobledo@usatoday.com and follow him on X @anthonyarobledo ILFW presents Bombazo de Lucha Libre at the Pico Rivera Sports Arena in Pico Rivera The Pico Rivera Sports Arena is located at 11003 Sports Arena Dr Enter your email address to subscribe to SCU and receive notifications of new posts by email.