Broken Water Main Floods Irvine Office Building

IRVINE, CA — A 12-story office building and parking structure in Irvine were evacuated, Wednesday, due to a broken water main, officials reported.

The 10-inch line break was reported just after 8 a.m. in the high rise building at the 2000 block of Main St., said Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Tony Bommarito. A common courtyard, the first floor and the parking garage were submerged during the flood.

"The flooding mostly affected the area around the high-rise, which included an electrical vault," he said. "The building was evacuated because of the potential for an electrical hazard."

Water and power to the building were shut off, and Irvine police shut down Morse Avenue between Mercantile and Gillette Avenue and Gillette between Main Street and Morse.

The Irvine Water District was repairing the broken line, according to the Irvine Police Department.

"The 2nd southbound lane of Gillette will be shut down, and Morse between Gillette and Mercantile will also be closed," a department spokesperson said.

Repairs were expected to continue throughout Wednesday evening, and likely into Thursday morning.