Fire crews investigate at a Brier Park business strip where a section of roof under repair gave way on Tuesday morning. The cause of the accident and damage to the building are yet to be determined.--NEWS PHOTO COLLIN GALLANT
Medicine Hat News
Roofing crews scrambled off a roof in the Brier Park industrial area Tuesday morning when a “10-foot” section of the roof they were repairing gave way, fire officials told the News.
No injuries were reported from the accident, which happened at about 9 a.m. and badly damaged one bay in the light industrial business strip that faces 10th Avenue NW.
Building manager Martin Schile says he was in the bay below, about 10 feet away from where the debris came crashing down at the front of the building.
“It came down right behind me,” he told the News. “”I looked back to see if anyone came down with it “Nobody did. That’s the good thing. But the (structure) doesn’t look great.”
Fire crews that initially responded and cleared the work site and two businesses below, gave building inspectors an overhead tour of the structure in the ladder basket.
The extent of the damage is still being determined.
“We’re not sure why it happened, yet,” said platoon chief Joe Greenan. “(The collapse) relates to the front 10 feet, and I believe there were workers on it at the time.”
The name on the damaged section of building is System One Pro Flow. The adjacent business in the same building is a reptile wholesaler.
Schile said the ongoing work was the final replacement of the roof, made necessary after it was damaged in an October wind storm when a portion of a neighbouring roof blew across and caused damage.
A portion of the front wall was leaning in after the accident.
Building inspectors were still examining the structure at the address on Tuesday afternoon as well as neighbouring businesses which share common walls.
