A 30-by-30-foot sinkhole swallowed the driveway of a Malibu oceanfront home tied to Nicolas Cage, forcing emergency crews to secure gas lines and a collapsing shoreline.
Story Highlights
- Predawn collapse opened a large sinkhole on Sea Level Drive in Malibu
- Officials linked the failure to coastal erosion driven by high surf
- Crews responded to a suspected gas-line break and secured the scene
- City reports show the area faces ongoing erosion and rising water risks
Predawn Collapse At High-Risk Malibu Block
Los Angeles County fire and sheriff’s units reached the 31600 block of Sea Level Drive around 5:45 a.m. after reports of a gas issue and found a driveway collapsed into a large sinkhole in front of an oceanfront house linked to actor Nicolas Cage. Officials described a roughly 30-by-30-foot void that undermined the slab and nearby ground. No injuries were reported. The home was unoccupied, and responders cordoned off the area while utility workers checked gas infrastructure and shut off service as needed.
City and broadcast reports tied the failure to coastal erosion made worse by high surf, which pulled sand and soil from beneath the pavement until it gave way. The same stretch has seen repeated wave run-up during strong swell events, which can scour the base of revetments and private drives. Residents described pounding waves overnight and debris along the narrow street. Officials warned that continued high tides could widen the hole and weaken nearby structures until seas calm.
Emergency Steps To Protect People And Utilities
Firefighters first treated the incident as a gas-line hazard because a ruptured line can ignite and spread fire quickly in tight coastal neighborhoods. Crews established a perimeter, monitored for gas, and guided Southern California Gas workers to valve points to lower system pressure and stop any leaks. Deputies restricted local access to reduce vibration on weakened ground. Inspectors assessed overhanging edges for further collapse and advised owners to keep weight, including vehicles and construction gear, away from the sinkhole rim.
City staff flagged adjacent properties for inspection since ground loss can travel under fences and slabs. In past incidents on Sea Level Drive, officials have red-tagged homes when foundations, utilities, or access routes failed. Engineers often order emergency shoring, temporary fill, or seawall patching to prevent more loss during the next high tide cycle. Those steps buy time but do not fix the root problem if the shore keeps retreating. Owners will likely face geotechnical reviews before any permanent repair permits are issued.
Why This Block Keeps Breaking
Malibu’s Coastal Vulnerability Assessment says rising seas, tidal flooding, and storm waves will push the shoreline inland, narrow beaches, and speed up erosion of cliffs and filled pads if no action is taken. State coastal records show the Lechuza and Sea Level Drive frontage trending toward slow but steady retreat over time, which places driveways, buried utilities, and low pads at constant risk when big swells arrive. These factors make collapses like Tuesday’s less rare event and more a known hazard pattern for this corridor.
A massive sinkhole formed in the driveway of a Malibu home belonging to actor Nicolas Cage. https://t.co/nwbpeEZ5Lf
— FOX 11 Los Angeles (@FOXLA) September 9, 2026
For homeowners, the stakes are simple and harsh. Big money goes into ocean views, but nature still calls the shots. When sand is stripped away, slabs crack, decks tilt, and lines snap. Taxpayers also carry costs when public crews race in each time the surf jumps a berm. Many on the left and right see the same failure here: years of slow-walking hard choices while property, utilities, and public safety sit in the impact zone, again and again.
What Comes Next On Sea Level Drive
In the short term, utility and road crews will stabilize the hole, cover exposed lines, and keep people clear. Engineers will map sub-surface voids and recommend near-term shoring before fall storms build. In the medium term, owners may seek stronger shore protection, but state and city rules weigh those requests against downcoast impacts and public access concerns. Long term, the city’s own planning documents warn that some frontage will need major redesign or retreat to match the water’s new edge.
Sources:
foxnews.com, latimes.com, dailynews.com, youtube.com, timesofindia.indiatimes.com, malibutimes.com, mynewsla.com, abc7.com
