More than an inch of rain fell in many areas, loosening Los Angeles hillsides burned bare by the recent blaze near the Pacific Palisades neighborhood.

So far, many clues to the origins of the deadly Eaton fire, which started in the area just after 6 p.m. that evening and went on to kill 17 people, have pointed to the brushy hillside where a tangle of electrical lines stretch up Eaton Canyon.

The recent storm brought some much needed moisture to Southern California without the dangerous mudslides some feared. But did it help reduce the fire danger?

Much-needed rain has begun to fall over Southern California, bringing relief to the drought-stricken region but also the threat of toxic runoff.