As the winds die down and the immediate threat of the recent wildfires in Los Angeles begins to recede, a new concern is emerging: the potential for landslides.
In the aftermath of the devastating Palisades Fire, a Malibu home has split in two, offering a stark warning of the dangers that lie ahead.
The home at 17447 Castellammare Dr. is leaving residents and officials stunned.
"You're a little astounded because all of a sudden the house is broken in half, like somebody picked it up, cracked it, and then just left it right on the hillside," KNX News' Pete Demetriou described from the scene.
While the precise cause of the failure is still under investigation, the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety believes a combination of factors may be at play.
Want to get caught up on what's happening in SoCal every weekday afternoon? Click to follow The L.A. Local wherever you get podcasts.
The deluge of water used to douse the fire or the fire itself, could have weakened the foundation, leading to catastrophic failure.
The home has been red-tagged, deeming it uninhabitable.
"If it's happened here at one of these houses, there are at least a half dozen or more where you have a situation that is roughly similar," Demetriou noted. "You've got the homes above them; many of them have burned completely, and you've had an awful lot of water that came on down and soaked into the ground into the foundations of these homes."
The true test, however, will come when it rains. The coming months will be a critical period for residents of these fire-affected areas.
Follow KNX News 97.1 FM