Water main break in Hollywood sends river gushing down streets
HOLLYWOOD, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- An underground water main break in Hollywood sent a fountain gushing 30 to 40 feet into the air and rivers flooding down local streets Thursday night.
The break occurred in an 8-inch cast iron pip on the 6000 block of Fountain Avenue just north of Santa Monica Boulevard, according to the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power.
Thousands of gallons of water from the main break were flooding down the street, causing a hazard for residents in the area.
"I knew water could do a lot but I did not know it could do all that," said resident Normar Baca-Carrillo.
It took about an hour to get the water shut off. The break left a large sinkhole open on the street.
Firefighters who responded to the scene had a close call when the back part of the fire engine fell into the hole.
As the only all-wheel drive fire engine in the fleet, officials said Fire Engine 82 gained enough traction to pull itself out of the hole.
One nearby home appeared to have suffered a partial roof collapse from the water. A woman inside the home was rescued by firefighters, the Los Angeles Fire Department said.
There were no injuries immediately reported. The damage to property was still being assessed Friday morning and clean-up efforts were underway.
