Cause Of Landslide Still Unknown As Residents Watch Homes Slide Away

ROLLING HILLS ESTATES, CA — The owner of 10 Peartree Ln. wasn't home when the ground around their house started to crack and the building started to slide into the canyon behind it.

Their neighbor Greg Brooks said his wife had to call one of the residents, who is out of the country in South Korea, to let her know what was happening to her home.

"My wife just called her yesterday and said, 'Hey by the way your house is sliding into the canyon,'" Brooks said.

Residents in the private Rolling Hills Estates neighborhood said they have heard loud cracking and things falling off their homes for two days after a major landslide started claiming homes Saturday afternoon.

The people living in the 12 homes were forced to evacuate for their safety, some going more reluctantly than others, Brooks said.

"This couple over at 18 just closed. They're not happy about this, but they want to stay," Brooks said.

The Palos Verdes Peninsula is no stranger to the threat of a major landslide. Officials in Rancho Palos Verdes have been monitoring a landslide in the Portuguese Bend, about eight miles from the Rolling Hills slide, which has been slowly moving since 1956.

In February, Rancho Palos Verdes city officials released a draft environmental impact report for a project aimed at saving the homes and infrastructure in the area. City Manager Ara Mihranian mentioned that record rainfall during the winter impacted the landslide area.

"The project contemplated is intended to prevent something catastrophic from happening. We know the landslide has been moving since 1956 and it hasn't stopped," Mihranian said.

According to the Los Angeles County Fire Department, it's unclear what caused the landslide at Peartree Lane. Building and safety officials are continuing to monitor the situation and the American Red Cross helped the displaced residents find shelter, officials said.

County Supervisor Janice Hahn said she has been in contact with California Governor Gavin Newsom in hopes to declare a state of emergency and provide some aid for the residents who lost everything.

"It's really astounding to me how quickly these homes are literally collapsing and sliding down the hill," Hahn said.

As of Monday, 12 homes have moved and 10 have been lost according to LACoFD. Electricity in the area was turned off Saturday and utility crews made sure no gas or power lines were disrupted, authorities said.

The Home Owners Association in the neighborhood is currently interviewing geologists who will be able to analyze the land and determine the cause of the slide. Until the geologist is hired, the cause of the slide is still a mystery.

Brooks was packing boxes into his car Monday morning, surrounded by crews surveying the area and curious neighbors taking a look at the extent of the damage. He said his plan, for now, is to stay with some relatives until he and his family can find another place to live.

"We're going to stay in the area, in the South Bay, but we don't know where yet," Brooks said.