Update: Children's Hospital Research Institute Threatened by Flooding

Later: The water damage from what is now confirmed as broken fire sprinklers was limited to the fifth floor of a research center at Children's Hospital, according to a hospital spokesperson.

Firefighters had worried that the water would spread to other floors from the stairwells where the initial flooding was located.

A contractor outside the building told Echo Park-Silver Lake Patch that firefighters had said that the previously reported basement flooding may also threaten experiments being conducted there.

Firefighters had quickly turned off electricity at the five-story building, limiting fire risk.

It is still not known whether employees will return to work Monday at the Saban Research Institute, where electricity appeared at least partially restored Sunday afternoon.

Earlier: A broken sprinkler or pipe in a stairwell was threatening all floors at a ground-breaking research institute at Children's Hospital early Sunday afternoon.

According to a Children's Hospital spokesperson, the buiding located at 4661 W. Sunset Blvd. in Los Feliz is the Saban Research Institute, specializing in pediatric health issues.

The spokesperson says the building was built in the 1990s and is not used to house patients.

An LAFD alert reports that there is as much as a foot of water in the basement and on all stairway levels of the five-story building.

The preliminary cause is a broken fire sprinkler or pipe in the stairwell.

The LAFD alert reports that no injuries and evacuations were required.

Sunset Boulevard is closed at Vermont Avenue for the time being.

We will have an update from the site shortly.

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