Man pinned in basement after house slides off foundation, Washington officials say

A man’s home began to slide off its foundation and collapse in on itself while he was in the basement, Washington fire officials said.

The Seattle home slid at least 15 feet off its foundation Friday, Jan. 7, after heavy rain pounded the region, the city’s fire department said.

“The steep slope area behind the house had slid likely as a result of high levels of precipitation which resulted in the top floor of the structure partially collapsing on top of the daylight basement,” the fire department said in a news release.

Firefighters responded to a 911 call about the Perkins Lane home and found a man trapped inside the house. He was in the basement when debris fell on top of him and pinned him to the ground, fire officials said.

Crews also searched for two dogs in the home who were missing after the slide. One of the dogs was found dead and the other was still missing as of Jan. 7.

The man and a woman, who’d made it out of the house before firefighters arrived, were taken to the hospital in stable condition, the fire department said.

While firefighters helped the man escape his home, others worked to put out a fire that sparked on the back of the house involving two 500-gallon propane tanks.

The fire was put out in about 25 minutes, according to the fire department.

No one can enter the home now because it is structurally unstable, officials said. The Seattle’s Department of Construction and Inspections will assess the damage and give recommendations to the homeowner on what comes next.

The city’s department of construction and inspections said on Twitter the heavy rains in the region increased the chances of landslides. Several cities in Washington had some of their wettest days on record, according to the National Weather Service.

Fire officials said people who live near a slope should check for signs of landslides regularly.

“During the wet season – with snow melt and sustained rain, it’s important for homeowners in areas on or near steep slopes to periodically evaluate the state of the hillside for signs of soil movement,” the fire department said. “This can include leaning trees or cracks in the soil.”

This story was originally published January 10, 2022 at 8:43 AM with the headline "Man pinned in basement after house slides off foundation, Washington officials say."