Water main break floods part of Melrose Avenue
A water main break Friday afternoon led to the closure of at least one block of busy Melrose Avenue in the Fairfax district for about 90 minutes.
The Los Angeles Fire Department located the break, which occurred about 4:30 p.m., at close to 7517 Melrose, where responding crews found an inch of water inside at least two businesses.
One business suffered minor damage near the entry, according to the department. It helped that the structures have concrete floors.
Firefighters used sandbags to channel the water, and traffic was being diverted in the area, especially between Gardner Street and Sierra Bonita Avenue.
Crews opened hydrants, apparently to relieve pressure on the water main, but in the short term, they too poured water onto the street. The flooding continued more than an hour after the initial report of problems.
Getting the water flowing again will take longer than stemming the flooding. Buildings on Melrose from Spaulding Avenue to Gardner Street may be without water for eight to 10 hours.
Street maintenance crews were assessing damage to the street and sidewalk Friday night.
Twitter: @howardblume
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