House Slides Down Hillside as Neighbors Rescue Occupant‏

There are two streets closed indefinitely in the area. SW Terwilliger Blvd from Capitol Highway to Chestnut Street SW and Burlingame Place at the scene of the slide. City officials are asking drivers to please avoid these areas.

Courtesy: Google Earth

(PORTLAND, Ore) - Portland Fire & Rescue crews responded to a report of a house sliding down the hill and the occupant was sliding down in front of the building.

Neighbors said that just after 5:30 AM, they saw the occupant "surfing" down the hill on a slab of concrete and quickly grabbed a ladder. Kim Kosmas with Portland Fire & Rescue says they reached with the ladder to the occupant and she grabbed the last rung of the ladder.

"The three neighbors then pulled the ladder and the occupant up the hill as the slab of concrete continued down the hillside."

Portland Fire & Rescue crews arriving on the scene reported finding a large swath of debris that had come to rest up against two other houses.

"Initial reports were that everyone had gotten out of all the affected homes. Upon further investigation, indeed, all individuals in all houses involved had gotten out safely and no one was hurt," Kosmas said.

"Portland Fire & Rescue responded to the incident with our Urban Search and Rescue Team and equipment. Had anyone been trapped in the homes, Portland Fire & Rescue would have done everything necessary to find and rescue those citizens."

Utilities had been damaged to the area due to the slide and as the day progressed, most customers who had lost power, natural gas, and phone service had those utilities restored.

There are two streets closed indefinitely in the area. SW Terwilliger Blvd from Capitol Highway to Chestnut Street SW and Burlingame Place at the scene of the slide. City officials are asking drivers to please avoid these areas. "Portland Fire & Rescue wants to remind all resident in the area that the immediate area of the slide is still very dangerous. Please stay away from the exposed area at the top of the hill and away from the damaged houses at the bottom of the hill." Kosmas says a total of 43 firefighters responded to the scene of the slide, and that at this time, engineers have not determined the cause of the slide.