Homes in Sherman Oaks are damaged by a landslide; residents are evacuated

Overnight, a landslide in Sherman Oaks caused damage to at least three homes and forced evacuations as a precaution.

According to the Los Angeles Fire Department, the incident happened on N. Ventura Canyon Avenue at roughly 2:51 a.m. on Wednesday. Firefighters were called to the location after hearing about a large tree and cables down in a backyard.

Responders arrived to find the hillside had moved, putting surrounding homes in jeopardy. The scene was one of destruction.

Two houses were red-tagged by the authorities; the most severely damaged was the one that is still under construction. An additional residence was given a yellow sticker, signifying partial damage.

LAFD’s Cody Weireter described the aftermath, pointing out the rocks, trees, muck, and plants that fell into the building site. The distance between a house’s foundation and outside pool area has drawn criticism.

Videos taken at the scene showed significant damage to a pool house and pool, as well as large fissures in the earth.

All residents of the impacted houses were able to leave their homes safely in spite of the dangerous circumstances, and no injuries were reported.

A resident voiced fears about possible mudslides and the structural integrity of her property, while others expressed worry about the stability of their homes overall.

The severity of the situation worsened when there was a whole drop-off on the hillside next to another house, causing emergency personnel to take precautions. A pool’s water was pumped out as part of the efforts to relieve pressure on the vulnerable hillside.

Adam VanGerpen of the LAFD stressed how serious the situation was, pointing out that there has been a substantial amount of concrete separation and displacement, endangering homes below the impacted region.

Authorities are concentrating on guaranteeing the safety and well-being of impacted individuals while evaluating the degree of damages caused by this catastrophic landslide in Sherman Oaks as investigations continue and recovery operations pick up steam.