Couch fire causes $25K in damage HILLSIDE...

Couch fire causes $25K in damage

HILLSIDE DISTRICT -- Two women moving into an apartment left a fan

blowing on a couch and returned to find firefighters in their pad.

The couch had gotten wet from rain as they moved into the complex

in the 600 block of East Providencia Avenue on Saturday. The

roommates set up a fan to dry the couch but the fan’s motor or wiring

failed, sparking a fire on one end of the couch, fire officials said.

The heat and smoke from the fire caused more damage than the blaze

itself, Fire Capt. Bob Reinhardt said. About $10,000 damage to the

apartment was reported, as well as $15,000 damage to the apartment’s

contents. The women will not be able to live in the apartment for

several weeks, but were expected to be able to move into a vacant

unit in the building, Reinhardt said.

Amber Willard

Teachers to protest at City Hall

CIVIC CENTER -- Burbank teachers will assemble in front of City

Hall steps at 5 p.m. Thursday to protest preliminary layoff notices

handed out last week. Nearly one-fifth of the district’s credentialed

staff, including teachers and counselors, were given the notices last

week.

The protest will be staged one hour prior to the 6 p.m. school

board meeting in City Hall’s council chambers, 275 E. Olive Ave. The

board has not scheduled any discussion of layoff notices at its

meeting.

Final termination notices must be given to teachers and other

workers by May 15.

Molly Shore