By the edhat staff
A broken water main is affecting the hillside in a residential neighborhood near Hope Ranch.
At 3:42 p.m. Tuesday, Santa Barbara County firefighters responded to the 500 block of Via Rueda to find water spilling from a La Cumbre Water District main line and eroding the nearby hillside.
Fire Captain Scott Safechuck stated two homes were initially threatened by a the potential of a large eucalyptus tree falling and affecting the underground gas line in the area.
The hillside was initially reported as compromised by Capt. Safechuck as additional resources were called including a backhoe, urban search and rescue vehicle, and other heavy equipment.
At 5:00 p.m. Tuesday, Capt. Safechuck announced the incident was stabilized and the water main was shut down. Additional resources were released.
The cause of the incident is under investigation.
Photo by an edhat reader
Photo by an edhat reader
Photo: SBCFD