Encino residents frustrated with city over massive sinkhole

Encino residents struggle to get sinkhole repaired

For months, residents in Encino have been going back and forth with city officials as they try to get a six-foot sinkhole in the middle of the street repaired.

LOS ANGELES - For months residents in Encino have been going back and forth with different city agencies trying to get a dangerous six-foot sinkhole repaired.

The sinkhole, located in the 16400 block of Refugio Road, first appeared in April.

"We noticed a mound developing in the street started looking like a small volcano, and then at one point, it just erupted," said one resident.

"If a truck ran over this or an emergency vehicle, it would sink anything with a higher weight than a car. Highly dangerous," added another resident.

For months, they have been asking the city to repair the rupture. But all they get is the runaround.

"DWP, they came, they sent someone out. They said this isn't our problem. It's not a broken water main. This is Bureau of Street Services. So we contacted Bureau of Street Services. They said file a report. We filed the report," said resident Caroline Blashek.

"DWP has said this is not our problem. It's street services. Street services said it's not. Our problem it's DWP," added Rob Blashek.

Residents were told the sinkhole was caused by a natural spring running underneath the road, perhaps from a well nearby.

While both departments point their fingers at each other, residents are begging city officials to fix this problem before it gets worse.

FOX 11 contacted Street Services and the Department of Water and Power. We were told a DWP crew would be out Thursday night to assess the problem, but so far it hasn't happened.