Homes Evacuated After Landslide
By ERIC S. PAGE
Updated 6:11 PM PST, Wed, Apr 15, 2009
Four homes were evacuated Wednesday morning after the earth moved in a very high-end neighborhood of San Diego.
The small slide was reported at about 10:30 a.m. in the 700 block of Bangor Street. A fairly steep cliff behind a home gave way, and the falling soil and vegetation ended up in the driveway of a home on San Fernando Street below.
A spigot was left on a soaker hose at the home on Bangor Street for an unknown period of time, according to San Diego Fire/Rescue spokesman Maurice Luque. Investigators believe the slow flow of water from that hose caused the slide, according to Luque.
The area affected is roughly 50 feet by 40 feet -- about 100 cubic yards of soil moved in the slide, according to officials.
Dorothy Stephens' home on Bangor Street was evacuated, as well as two others below it on San Fernando Street.
Stephens, 88, has lived in her house since World War II. A neighbor informed her the slide had occurred -- Stephens said she didn't feel anything when it happened. Stephens, whose home is undamaged, said she has not watered outdoors recently. She said she was concerned about what happened and is going to take the process step-by-step.
Fire officials said they did not believe the home on San Fernando Street was damaged by the slide. That home is vacant, but the person responsible for it has been notified about what happened. The homes on either side were also evacuated as a precaution.
Geological experts were called in to conduct an examination of the site and to try to determine the cause of the slide. Shortly after 12:30 p.m., structural and soils engineers gave the OK for all the residents to return to their homes.
Nobody was injured in the incident.
First Published: Apr 15, 2009 11:10 AM PST
You Might Like
You have 2000 characters left
