Roof Of Historic "O" Street Market Collapses
February 18, 2003 Alan Etter The roof of the historic O Street Market came crashing through the structure Tuesday afternoon, apparently succumbing to thousands of pounds wet snow left over from the blizzard. |
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Units responded to the 122-year-old building around 5:00 PM. Witnesses reported hearing a loud crash and then seeing dust and debris rising from the vacant building at 7th & O Streets, NW. DC Fire & EMS’ Collapse Rescue Unit responded on the alarm to begin a search for possible victims. Although the building had been vacant for nearly a year, police on the scene reported homeless people often frequented the area. An aerial search using thermal imagers was conducted. Finding no heat source in the debris, Squad 3 knocked a hole in the West side of the building and inserted a remote camera to get a better look inside the structure. “This building is so damaged it would be unwise to send firefighters inside to conduct a physical search,” said Deputy Fire Chief John Thumann, noting the structure was in danger of collapsing further. “We’re fortunate to have the tools that allow us access to the building while keeping our people safe.” No victims were found. The scene was turned over to building engineers from the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs. 16:58
E16, T4, BFC 6, Squad 1 |
