Crews evaluating hillside stability after Hollywood Hills landslide

HOLLYWOOD HILLS, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Laurel View Drive is still shut down after some 20 tons of dirt and debris slid down a hillside and forced the evacuation of five homes.

The debris slid down from the backyard of a home on Hillside Avenue and onto homes below on the 8100 block of Laurel View. Two homes were red-tagged and two were yellow-tagged.

No injuries were reported.

An $8 million home owned by actress Demi Lovato is on the cusp of the slide area, but was not tagged.

Some neighbors near the slide area blame overdevelopment.

"We've had to mobilize to try to put a cap on some of this major construction and drilling and bulldozing," said resident Judy Asher.

Others say it's simply Mother Nature - this month's heavy rains following years of severe drought weakened the hillside.

"This is just that we haven't had any rain in 10 years," said Tony Allison who was housesitting at a home near the slide. "Any kind of real rain, and here it is."

City utility crews are working to replace a power line that was knocked down in the landslide. Power was taken out to more than 400 customers in the area, but restored later Monday night.

Engineers are still assessing the safety of the hillside. Debris removal won't begin until they determine the area is safe.

Of additional concern to residents is more rain in the forecast for later this week.