Large mudflow damages home in Encino as residents escape

ENCINO, Calif. (FOX 11) - Emergency crews responded to a large mudflow that washed into a single-family home and guest house in Encino late Monday afternoon after hours of steady rain hit the San Fernando Valley.

The Los Angeles Fire Department says all occupants got out safely without injuries. About 200 feet of mud from the neighboring hillside impacted the two structures, according to officials.

Homeowner Joyce Sachs said it's lucky nobody was in the guest house after that property was filled with several feet of debris that knocked it off its foundation.

"My grandson could have been in the guest house and that is totally full of mud," Sachs said. "He lost everything."

The incident was reported at about 4:54 p.m. in the 17900 block of Boris Drive.

The Department of Building and Safety red-tagged, or labeled inhabitable, the guest house, and yellow-tagged the main residence.

Geologists who surveyed the hillside believe it's stable at this time but issued voluntary evacuations for a dozen other homes.

"Given the amount of saturation we've already had today it's going to continue to get worse on this hill," Battalion Chief, Andrew Wordon, Los Angeles Fire Department, said.