Victory Boulevard

Firefighters made progress early Friday on a three-alarm blaze that ripped through a Burbank smoke shop. The fire was reported around 3:30 a.m. at Wholesale Giant at Victory Boulevard and Manning Street, just south of Bob Hope Airport, KTLA-TV reported. The business is a wholesale market that sells items including tobacco, restaurant supplies and candy. Firefighters arrived to find heavy fire inside the building, which then spread to the attic, compromising the roof. Fire crews battled the flames with hoses from outside to keep the fire from spreading.

A sinkhole closed Victory Boulevard in Burbank on Saturday, but the road should be back to normal before motorists begin their commute Monday morning, officials said. Burbank Water and Power officials had been working since 3 p.m Saturday to fix a broken water main that caused the sinkhole on Victory Boulevard and Palm Avenue. Ken Donaldson, a water supervisor, said he suspected the rain moved soil around, which could have caused the water main to burst. Donaldson said this was the third largest sinkhole he’s seen in Burbank in the last 20 years.

A vehicle collided with a Burbank police car Friday night, sending one officer to a hospital. The driver of the vehicle was apparently traveling southbound on Victory Boulevard and struck the police car while making a left turn into a driveway. The police officer was taken to Saint Joseph Medical Center to be evaluated. The accident is under investigation. Police said at the scene that it appeared alcohol was not involved. -- Ross A. Benson, For Times Community News

Lolita Harper NORTHWEST DISTRICT -- Two Burbank men were taken to the hospital Friday evening after the truck they were in collided with a bus at the corner of Hollywood Way and Victory Boulevard. Driver Tim Belosic, 24, and passenger Kelly Childers, 31, were taken to Providence St. Joseph Medical Center for treatment of minor injuries, Burbank Police Sgt. Ron Caruso said. The third passenger, Michael Sanchez, 24, of Burbank, refused medical treatment because he didn't have insurance, Sanchez said.

Ryan Carter BURBANK -- A 61-year-old woman received injuries to the face and chest when her car collided head-on with a big rig, Friday afternoon. Witnesses said the woman somehow began driving west on an eastbound lane of Victory Boulevard, just east of Hollywood Way, said Sgt. Pat Lynch of the Burbank Police Department. As she neared the intersection, a Consolidated Freightway truck was turning the corner going east on Victory Boulevard. The woman was taken to Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in Mission Hills with injuries to the face and chest, said Capt.

Karen S. Kim NORTHWEST DISTRICT -- Burbank's Public Works Department is converting the five points intersection at Burbank Boulevard and Victory Boulevard into a four-way intersection to ease traffic congestion. "It's a very problematic intersection right now, probably the worst intersection in town," City Manager Bud Ovrom said. "This is a plan to make it better, but during construction it's going to make it worse. Like always, it's going to get worse before it gets better."

Ryan Carter BURBANK -- Police are searching for someone who stole several American flags this week and vandalized others. On Wednesday and Thursday, police received at least six complaints of thefts and at least one report from a witness who saw someone take a flag from a front yard and tear it up, Burbank Police Lt. Kevin Krafft said. Many of the reports came from neighborhoods above Glenoaks Boulevard, between Olive Avenue and the Glendale border, Krafft said.

Karen S. Kim BURBANK -- Between July and October, residents traveling on Buena Vista Avenue in northern Burbank might run into traffic delays because of construction. Ironically, the traffic-causing construction is aimed at easing traffic problems that might arise once the Burbank Empire Center opens later this year. The City Council approved Tuesday that Burbank's public works department award contracts for construction and enter agreements with state agencies to get the project started.

After more than eight years, a directional signal hasn't been installed at “five points,” the intersection of Burbank and Victory boulevards. I've done everything I could possibly think of peacefully doing to have the sign installed. The problem is that drivers eastbound on Victory Boulevard, turning right to the signal at Burbank Boulevard, are not yet aware of the “right lane must turn right” sign that is located on Burbank Boulevard as they are halfway into their left turn onto Burbank.

Firefighters made progress early Friday on a three-alarm blaze that ripped through a Burbank smoke shop. The fire was reported around 3:30 a.m. at Wholesale Giant at Victory Boulevard and Manning Street, just south of Bob Hope Airport, KTLA-TV reported. The business is a wholesale market that sells items including tobacco, restaurant supplies and candy. Firefighters arrived to find heavy fire inside the building, which then spread to the attic, compromising the roof. Fire crews battled the flames with hoses from outside to keep the fire from spreading.

A vehicle collided with a Burbank police car Friday night, sending one officer to a hospital. The driver of the vehicle was apparently traveling southbound on Victory Boulevard and struck the police car while making a left turn into a driveway. The police officer was taken to Saint Joseph Medical Center to be evaluated. The accident is under investigation. Police said at the scene that it appeared alcohol was not involved. -- Ross A. Benson, For Times Community News

AREA 1 100 block of Sparks Street Danny Jesus Garcia, 41, was arrested Dec. 15 on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, possessing methamphetamines and failing to stop after being involved in accident. Hollywood Way at Alameda Avenue Cynthia Rae Holodnak, 42, was arrested Dec. 15 on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Victory Boulevard at Angeleno Avenue Jesse Edward Zagala, 28, was arrested Dec. 16 on suspicion of theft, failing to appear and outstanding warrants.

The Autry National Center on Wednesday bought a new facility on Victory Boulevard to house a new research and resource center. The acquisition will accommodate curatorial offices, laboratories, two research libraries and about 500,000 artworks and artifacts, museum officials said. Mayor Anja Reinke highlighted the upcoming project this week as part of a long-term goal to bolster the presence of the arts in Burbank. "It is my goal as part of the cultural arts committee that Burbank would get more museums to enrich our arts experience," she said.

A sinkhole closed Victory Boulevard in Burbank on Saturday, but the road should be back to normal before motorists begin their commute Monday morning, officials said. Burbank Water and Power officials had been working since 3 p.m Saturday to fix a broken water main that caused the sinkhole on Victory Boulevard and Palm Avenue. Ken Donaldson, a water supervisor, said he suspected the rain moved soil around, which could have caused the water main to burst. Donaldson said this was the third largest sinkhole he’s seen in Burbank in the last 20 years.

The massive sinkhole that opened Saturday at Victory Boulevard and Palm Avenue amid heavy downpours, shutting off water to surrounding structures and closing off traffic to the intersection, was likely caused by improper construction nearly two decades ago, officials said. Water was restored to neighboring businesses, and all lanes were opened to traffic by 1 p.m. Monday as street sweepers worked to clean up debris scattered blocks away from the 40-by-40-foot sinkhole, which was widened to 65 feet along the curb to make necessary repairs.