Videos capture Utah homes sliding down cliff into a canyon

Videos have emerged capturing the moments two homes in Utah slid down into a canyon over the weekend after officials had declared them unsafe for habitation. 

In stunning footage taken by a witness, one of the homes in Draper, outside of Salt Lake City, can be heard cracking apart in the garage area early Saturday before the entire property slowly drifts backward. 

In another clip, one home in the middle of a row of others begins to lean backward before racing down the cliff and out of sight. 

Officials had notified residents in October 2022 that both homes were unfit for occupancy due to dangerous conditions resulting from shifting ground — the same conditions that led the homes to slide into the canyon.  

UTAH HOMES SLIDE OFF CLIFF INTO CANYON 

Both homes were built by EDGE Homes and had been fenced off since the 2022 assessment, according to FOX 13. 

“Two residences — the homes on each side of the properties that slid, were evacuated and have been condemned. Signage and fencing has been placed around those residences,” the city of Draper said Sunday in a Facebook post. “The affected area is being monitored by Draper City Police. Bystanders should not visit the vicinity of the slide.” 

The city says nearby hiking trails will remain closed “while the stability of the newly condemned homes continues to be monitored and evaluated.”

“We ask everyone to respect the trail closures for their own protection,” it added. “When deemed feasible to do so, a cleanup effort will be coordinated for the trails.” 

HOUSE ON NORTH CAROLINA’S OUTER BANKS COLLAPSES INTO OCEAN 

The Draper City Police Department also said Sunday that anyone “around the condemned homes and slide area on Springtime Rd may be subject to citation.”

“People have been going into the prohibited areas, around fencing, etc. We need everyone to stay out of the area due to safety concerns,” police said. 

A family that owned one of the homes told FOX 13 they were devastated that the collapse happened, because despite not living in the building at the time, it meant that belongings that remained in the home such as photo albums and keepsakes most likely did not survive the slide. 

The local government insisted that officials had tried “for months” to contact EDGE to address engineering studies on the stability of the surrounding area. Draper officials in December 2022 revoked occupancy permits for the buildings. 

 

One of the homes sold for $900,000, and the couple that bought it had to vacate less than a year after taking ownership.  

Just months after the completion of construction, the corner of one home sank up to 10 inches and cracks in the foundation and patio concrete had formed. EDGE claimed at the time that “unique geographic features and the soils on which they were constructed” had caused those shifts to happen. 

Fox News’ Peter Aitken contributed to this report.