Landslide damages Pacific Palisades home untouched by wildfires – NBC Los Angeles

A Pacific Palisades home still standing after the Palisades fire was split in half by a landslide in the neighborhood overlooking the Los Angeles County coast.

A mudslide and wildfire debris appeared to have collapsed and built up behind the home Thursday morning in the 1700 block of Castellammare Drive, near Pacific Coast Highway and Sunset Boulevard. The home, perched precariously close to the edge of the hillside, appeared to have been pushed off its foundation by the build-up of dirt and debris.

Houses near the house were destroyed, but the residence was largely untouched by flames. It was not immediately clear when the landslide happened.

Parts of the streets also collapsed down the hill under the weight of rubble and water.

Similar problems can develop under multiple homes, firefighters said. Mudslides and shifting land will continue to be a problem, especially if the region receives rain.

Without vegetation to absorb water, the risk of landslides and floods increases during rainstorms.

A Pacific Palisades home left untouched by the Palisades Fire split in half by a landslide in the neighborhood overlooking the Los Angeles County coast. Video broadcast Thursday January 16, 2025 today in LA.

“It’s safe to say the infrastructure under thousands of homes has been compromised,” said LAFD Captain Erik Scott. “This can lead to challenges like this if the home is on a steep hillside.”

Scott said the department maps properties to identify potential hazards. The agency is well over a third of the way through mapping those properties, Scott said.

“We’re not out of the woods yet,” Scott said. “We will also have to deal with the rain and mudslides that are coming.”

The now 23,700-acre fire started in January in Pacific Palisades and damaged or destroyed about 5,000 homes. The containment was at 22 percent on Thursday morning.