Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Couple discovers huge lava cave under their home

‘You couldn't even touch the ceiling in it’, says Oregon home owner

Gino Spocchia
Monday 24 May 2021 13:01 EDT
Comments
A lava cave discovered by a homeowner in Oregon
A lava cave discovered by a homeowner in Oregon (KTVZ 21 News)

Your support helps us to tell the story

This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.

The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.

Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.

A couple in Oregon are selling a house with an added extra room – a large underground lava cave.

On Sunday, Suzanne and James Brierley told local news outlet KTVZ 21 they brought the property and a10-acre plot of land in Bend, Oregon, in 2017.

Shortly after, they discovered a large cave formed by lava, and called in experts to survey it.

Although they were told about the cave below the property, the Brierleys did not expect it to be so big.

“I was really shocked by how big it was. You couldn't even touch the ceiling in it,” Mr Brierley told KTVZ.

“It was quite impressive, it was kinda like a gift we didn't really know we'd had.”

In video of the cave, multiple people are able to stand and walk inside of it.

Oregon High Desert Grotto, a branch of the National Speleological Society, were called in to survey the Brierley’s cave, and collected data.

According to KTVZ, the group believes there are yet unexplored sections of the cave.

Central Oregon is home to approximately 400 lava tubes – caves formed by lava that flowed through the area millions of years ago, and afterwards cooled.

They are thought to be among the most common type of cave in all US National Parks.

The Brierleys added to KTVZ that they hoped future homeowners will help to preserve the cave.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in