(KGTV/CNS) -- Crews in Oceanside are investigating a mudslide Sunday that left four families homeless on Christmas day.
Greg DeAvila, on-duty battalion chief for the Oceanside Fire Department, told City News Service that a broken water line, along with the rain that fell on the North County on Saturday, caused the slide.
The incident happened around 5 a.m. at a four-unit, two-story complex located at 509 Canyon Drive, according DeAvila. Crews responded calls about water coming through the wall.
When fire and police units arrived, they discovered a 75-feet-long, 12- feet-wide mudslide behind the building.
Mud pushed through the lower units, damaging the structure and appliances, Pete Lawrence, Oceanside battalion chief, told CNS.
There were no injuries.
The apartment property management company will help in securing long- term accommodations for the residents, who will have to live elsewhere for an extended period of time, Lawrence said.
An official from the city's Building Department deemed the apartment complex unsafe, Lawrence said.
He added that city officials also tagged a residence above the complex on Maxon Street for limited occupancy until a geologist can evaluate the slope. Residents in that house did not need assistance from the Red Cross, Lawrence said.
The city's Water Utilities Department evaluated all water lines in the immediate area for any leaks or damage and found none, Lawrence said.
Information from City News Service was used in this report.
