County To Clear Out Debris Basin Above La Cañada

LA CAÑADA FLINTRIDGE (CBS) — Dump trucks will begin the hard work of cleaning out the Mullally Debris Basin in La Cañada Flintridge next week.

The cleanout is expected to take about one week to complete, according to Bob Spencer of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works.

The sediment will be taken by a convoy of dump trucks to the Dunsmuir Sediment Placement Site off Markridge Road in Glendale, between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. on weekdays.

An overflowing Mullally basin sent a torrent of mud, rocks and debris directly into the Paradise Valley neighborhood in La Cañada Flintridge on Feb. 6, severely damaging several homes and several vehicles.

The Department of Public Works expanded the Mullally basin before the recent storms and it worked as designed. The basin did not overflow and there was no property damage below Mullally.

The heaviest rains steered clear of the Station Fire burn area, and some meteorologists with the National Weather Service said residents there "dodged a bullet."

(©2010 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)