FEBRUARY 17, 2015
(MyFoxBoston.com) -- The heavy snow has
caused multiple roof collapses across Massachusetts, with businesses in Saugus,
Seekonk and Middleboro reporting collapses Monday night.
Owners of an auto body shop in Saugus are dealing with thousands of dollars in damage from a roof collapse. Firefighters were first called to Bruhm's Tire and Service around 10 p.m. after a neighbor heard the roof buckle. Crews evacuated 12 people out of their homes over concerns of a possible gas leak.
No one was inside at the time of the collapse and workers were able to contain the gas leak quickly. The fire chief told FOX25 there was about $100,000 in damage done to the building. The scene was near Kane's Donuts, which opened up early to give those evacuated from their homes a warm place to wait until the evacuation was lifted.
The Lowe's in Seekonk is closed until further notice because of roof issues. The ceiling over the Garden Center caved in under the weight of the snow.
The Garden Center was closed at the time, so no one was inside when the roof came down. The store will remain closed until building inspectors check the entire building and deems it safe.
In Middleboro, the roof of a Plus Recycling building collapsed around 7 p.m. Approximately one-third of the roof came down. No injuries were reported. The building was unoccupied at the time.
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Owners of an auto body shop in Saugus are dealing with thousands of dollars in damage from a roof collapse. Firefighters were first called to Bruhm's Tire and Service around 10 p.m. after a neighbor heard the roof buckle. Crews evacuated 12 people out of their homes over concerns of a possible gas leak.
No one was inside at the time of the collapse and workers were able to contain the gas leak quickly. The fire chief told FOX25 there was about $100,000 in damage done to the building. The scene was near Kane's Donuts, which opened up early to give those evacuated from their homes a warm place to wait until the evacuation was lifted.
The Lowe's in Seekonk is closed until further notice because of roof issues. The ceiling over the Garden Center caved in under the weight of the snow.
The Garden Center was closed at the time, so no one was inside when the roof came down. The store will remain closed until building inspectors check the entire building and deems it safe.
In Middleboro, the roof of a Plus Recycling building collapsed around 7 p.m. Approximately one-third of the roof came down. No injuries were reported. The building was unoccupied at the time.
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SAUGUS, Mass. —A man was pulled from his Billerica home
after one of many roof collapses reported due to the weight of heavy snow.
Homeowner Wayne Yablonsky, 62, said he saw a crack in his
home and then insulation started to fall Monday night.
"The next thing you know, the whole thing caved in on
me," he said.
After the roof collapsed, Yablonsky said the doors and
windows wouldn't open.
"Everything was jammed," he said. "I couldn't
get out.
When first responders arrived, they said they were forced to
kick down a door to rescue him.
He was uninjured and will not be allowed to return to his
home because officials said it's only a matter of time until the entire
structure collapses.
Yablonsky is staying with a neighbor.
Another roof collapse was reported Monday night at an auto
body shop on Lincoln Avenue in Saugus.
No one was inside at the time it collapsed and no injuries
were reported.
The roof of a Lowe's in Seekonk collapsed due to the weight
of snow on Monday afternoon.
A Lowe's spokesperson said the collapse was reported over
the Garden Center. No one was in the area when the roof collapsed and no
injuries were reported.
The store was closed so officials could assess the
situation.
And in Pepperell, a woman who decided to take her husband's
car instead of her own was able to escape serious injuries Sunday when the
couple's garage collapsed.
When the roof collapsed on River Road, it crushed the van
Jennifer Ellars would have taken, but there was less damage to the Volvo she
was actually sitting in.
"I could see the hanging ladder moving with that crack.
And then 'Bang.' This loud 'Bang.' And you could feel the whole car move,"
said Ellars. "I physically ducked, thinking I could get squished here
flat. And then it was over."
Her husband, Charlie, didn't hear the crash over the snow
blower he was using and was alerted by their son.
"I could hear her talking," Charlie Ellars said.
"I had no idea until I came out the extent of the damage."
"It was like, 'Get me out of here. What are you waiting for? Get me out of here,'" Jennifer Ellars recalled saying.
"It was like, 'Get me out of here. What are you waiting for? Get me out of here,'" Jennifer Ellars recalled saying.
Ellars was trapped in the Volvo as the windshield cracked
and the back windows blew out, and she had to be helped out by Pepperell
firefighters. She was uninjured.