House Collapses on Porter Street

A vacant Porter Street house under renovation collapsed last night under the weight of heavy snow, leaving only the facade standing.

No one was injured, but the Fire Department evacuated neighbors from the house next door, said spokesman Steve MacDonald. They are staying with friends and family.

Firefighters were called at 1:37 am and soon determined no one was living there.

Ongoing concerns as of Thursday morning included the gas lines into the wrecked house. Utility crews were digging up the street to get to the lines to turn them off, MacDonald said. He said the street would likely be closed all day.

The city's Inspectional Services Department is on scene. The front of the building will likely be torn down, MacDonald said.

Roofs have been buckling all over Massachusetts as a result of the heavy snow fall. MacDonald said flat roofs are in the most danger, though he cautioned home and business owners to get professionals to do the clearing because of hazards like hidden skylights and inability to tell where the roof edge is.

According to scanner traffic, the Fire Department is monitoring a nearby building at Germania and Brookside that looks like it may also come down.