Fire-scarred areas face possible mudslides

? Southern Californians living near areas scarred by recent wildfires sandbagged around their homes and in some places were told to leave them Tuesday as a storm approaching from the Pacific brought a threat of floods and mudslides.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger ordered state agencies to prepare to aid local organizations in case of disaster.

“The state stands ready to help local governments protect lives and property,” he said.

A low-pressure area about 700 miles off the coast was heading northeast and could bring an inch of rain through Thanksgiving and up to 4 inches in the mountains, said Stan Wasowski, a forecaster with the National Weather Service in San Diego.

Flash flood watches were posted through this evening for areas where grass and brush that normally anchors the soil, helping to prevent mudslides, burned away. Some places could get a half-inch of rain in an hour, the Weather Service said.