[LA MESA, Sun Dec 7, 11:30 p.m.]
A late-night water main break on Morengo Avenue left part of the street buckled and briefly threatened to trap a La Mesa fire engine, prompting an extensive overnight repair effort by the Helix Water District.
La Mesa Fire’s Engine 11 rolled up to the 5600 block of Morengo Avenue around 11:30 p.m. Saturday after residents reported water shooting up from the asphalt. As crews arrived, the pavement began to sag beneath the engine, forcing firefighters to move forward to avoid sinking into what was quickly becoming a small sinkhole.
Police shut down the street while water from the ruptured line flowed downhill toward Fletcher Parkway, carrying mud and debris with it. Helix Water District workers located and closed a feed valve to bring the flow under control before beginning excavation.
An estimated roughly 50 feet of roadway had warped or collapsed. Workers said the damaged line was likely a six-inch cement pipe dating back to the 1960s—older infrastructure where low overnight demand can cause internal pressures to spike, making nighttime failures more common.
Utility crews mapped out nearby gas and sewer lines, then dug about four feet down to expose the break and replace the damaged section. Residents in the area temporarily lost water service through the morning as the trench was backfilled and the pavement patched.
Despite the disruption, neighbors stayed upbeat. At one point, two young men rode tall unicycles through the closed street, drawing laughs from workers and onlookers.
