Mudslide Fears Linger After Devastating Fire Nearly eight months after the Bond Fire in Orange County, Calif., residents say they fear deadly mudslides are on the horizon, despite the state-wide drought. The Bond Fire, which erupted in Silverado Canyon Dec. 2, 2020, burnt away vegetation that previously played a crucial part in capturing and storing rainfall. Without it, rain can fall into the canyon without obstruction, creating a mudslide hazard. Catastrophic mudslides aren’t unprecedented in Southern California. In January 2018, 23 people died after debris flows as high as 15 feet moved through Montecito, Calif. at speeds of up to 20 miles per hour. Two of the bodies were never found. The community was previously affected by the Thomas Fire, which burned 281,893 acres earlier that month.