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What Caused This Home To Split In Half?

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Feb 11, 2008 12:09 am US/Pacific

What Caused This Home To Split In Half?

ENCINO, Calif. (CBS) ― The cause of the fissure that caused an Encino home to split in two on Sunday remained a mystery Tuesday.

The $1 million Encino home, which was unoccupied and undergoing renovation, is a total loss and will likely be razed, according to building inspectors.

Geologists aren't sure what caused the earth to open up. Apparently, the soil was saturated, but the source of the water was not immediately clear.

Some nearby residents told the Los Angeles Times they had a similar problem about a year ago when water gushed from the same property, sending mud into their backyard.

At first, firefighters suspected that a break in a water main undermined the home at 15940 West Skytop Road, but Department of Water and Power workers later determined that was not the case.

No significant movement was reported overnight. Experts do not believe the structure will slide off its foundations, but the fissure could continue to widen for some time, a fire department spokeswoman said.

Three homes down the hill from the Skytop Road property were declared uninhabitable due to the shifting earth.

(© 2008 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

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