Rain causes havoc in Burbank area
As rain drenched the Southland on Friday, authorities responded to storm-related incidents, including a warehouse roof collapse and a tree that crashed onto a Burbank home.
The roof of a warehouse collapsed in the morning, rupturing a gas line and forcing an evacuation. Investigators believe the collapse was caused by a “basketball-sized” blockage in a roof drainage pipe, said Burbank Fire Capt. Peter Hendrickson.
The warehouse, located at 3083 Lima St., is part of a block-long, one-story building that also houses three other businesses, he said.
The roof collapse caused an estimated 40-by-40-foot hole and broke a gas line. Also, 10 to 20 people working in adjacent offices had to evacuate the building, he added.
“The roof is actually on the floor,” Hendrickson said. “The drain got blocked and the water built up on roof, and the roof collapsed.”
Just after 9 a.m., tenants working in an adjacent office called the fire department after smelling gas, Hendrickson said.
“There’s a lot of investigating to do before they’re going to allow people back into the building,” Hendrickson said.
No one was reportedly in the warehouse — which is apparently used for storage — when the roof collapsed.
Later in the day, a 40-foot parkway tree fell and crashed onto the front of a Burbank home, puncturing a hole in the roof while the resident was inside.
A woman in her 80s was in the home at 330 N. Beachwood Drive, just south of Magnolia Boulevard, when the tree fell, Hendrickson said. She was able to exit through the rear of the house without any injuries.
Authorities were called to the scene at 2 p.m. following initial reports of a person trapped inside a home.
Utility officials retrieved fallen electrical wires, while forestry and building officials were called to cut up the tree and check the structure’s safety.
Damage estimates for the two incidents were not immediately available.
On Riverside Drive, the iconic “Bob” figure on top of the Bob’s Big Boy restaurant in Burbank fell down around 3:30 p.m. this afternoon, according to Anthony Arte, a cashier at the restaurant.
The restaurant’s employees didn’t know the figure had fallen until the restaurant’s owner called in to let them know after he saw it on social media.
“It’s okay, it’s just laying down,” he said, adding that “Bob” had fallen on his back.
This was the first time this has happened as far as Arte knew, he said.
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Follow Alene Tchekmedyian on Google+ and on Twitter: @atchek.
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