The city of Malibu has ordered an emergency evacuation for dozens of residential properties after a sinkhole formed under the driveway of a home reportedly owned by Hollywood actor Nicolas Cage, according to U.S. media reports.
The sinkhole opened as a result of a gas leak, city officials said in a statement.
Emergency services responded to a call for a gas leak at 5:45 a.m. Tuesday, by which time it had grown to over 30 feet wide and had collapsed in on itself, swallowing Cage’s driveway, the Los Angeles Times reported on Tuesday.
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The director of emergency services declared the sinkhole a local emergency Tuesday evening.
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Cage reportedly bought the home where the sinkhole formed in 2024, according to a New York Times report describing the four-story, 4,000-square-foot home as having beach access from a private residential street popular among celebrities.
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The city’s statement does not say whether the home was occupied when the sinkhole was reported, but it confirmed that authorities had blocked access to five homes on the street and warned that inclement weather would likely exacerbate the problem.
“These conditions are likely to worsen with forecasted high tides and rain caused by Hurricane Marie,” the warning said.
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Emergency vehicles were struggling to access the street because the expanding sinkhole had significantly reduced the usable road, the alert continued.
Southern California Gas Company is on site working on the gas leak, it also noted.
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The sinkhole opened up after the National Weather Service issued a coastal flood advisory for Southern California over Labour Day weekend. Local authorities said they are monitoring and addressing coastal erosion concerns in the area.
According to the LA Times, homes in the area where the sinkhole formed are vulnerable because they are close to the Ocean and sit over soil.