Hourly Update

Story and video: Giant fissure opens up in Queen Creek

3TV's Kim Martinez reports >> A giant fissure has opened up in the ground near Sossaman Road and San Tan Boulevard in Queen Creek. The huge crack, which looks something like a fault line, is about 1.5 miles long and up to 25 feet deep in some area. While the fissure has been there for some time, recent storms have exposed it and caused it to grow. "It started really small, maybe a couple of feet," said area homeowner Summer Martinez. Martinez said one of her neighbors tried to drive across the fissure before it grew so large and her vehicle fell three or four feet into the crack. With every storm, the fissure gets bigger. "It keeps getting wider and wider and deeper and deeper," Martinez said. The fissure is close to some homes, but so far, no damage has been reported. That, however, might not last. "My fence is falling in," Martinez said. Fissures are caused by tension in the ground, as well as the removal of groundwater. Flooding exacerbates the problem, revealing fissures, which often start as small cracks, and causing them to grow. According to one expert, there are 20 documented fissures in the area north of the San Tan Mountains.