New York firehouse collapses under heavy snow with firefighters on roof narrowly avoiding injury
Video taken by a neighboring animal hospital shows the building come down under the weight of the snow just minutes after Barneveld Firehouse members were attempting to clear the snow.
Barneveld, New York Fire firehouse collapses under weight of snow
Video shows the Barneveld Fire Station collapsing on Feb. 22 under the weight of snow.
BARNEVELD, N.Y. – More than two dozen buildings, including the Barneveld Volunteer Fire Department, collapsed after parts of Central New York received several feet of snow last week.
A lake-effect snowstorm started Feb. 14 and did not let up until Feb. 19, piling feet of snow on roofs.
According to a news release, the main part of the Barneveld Firehouse in Oneida County collapsed on Feb. 22 after station members found structural damage and were trying to remove snow from the roof.
Video taken from across the street at Beaver Meadow Veterinary Clinic showed the moment the station building went down under the weight of snow.
Heavy snow causes New York Firehouse to collapse
Barneveld, New York's fire station collapsed just minutes after firefighters scrambled to get out as the roof began creaking under the tremendous weight of a heavy lake effect snow. Fire Chief Kevin Kalk tells FOX Weather it was the quickest 15 seconds of their lives.
"It sounded like a freight train," Fire Chief Kevin Kalk told FOX Weather. "It was the quickest 15 seconds of our lives."
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Department officials said members were at the station about 3 p.m. when they heard "popping sounds" and discovered structural damage to the front truss of the station.
While some members began removing equipment from the station, others tried to remove snow from the roof. A local contractor was called in and a ladder truck from the Stittville Fire Department arrived to help.
"We had crews up on the roof and we had a contractor here to see if we could possibly shore up the structure," Kalk said. "He was gaining access to our attic space and quickly realized how quickly conditions were changing. We advised everybody to get off the roof and within 4 minutes of exiting the roof, the station collapsed."
No one was injured during the collapse.
A screenshot of the moment after the Barneveld Vol. Fire Station collapse.
Department equipment was moved to the Trenton Highway Department facility and other equipment is being stored at the Newport and Floyd fire departments.
"Please be rest assured that the members of the Barneveld Vol. Fire Department are ready to respond just like we always have since 1838," a statement from the fire department said.
Barneveld is located within the Hamlet of Trenton, which also reported multiple structural collapses from snow over the past week.
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According to town officials, the Trenton recycling center and Old Town Highway building both partially collapsed this week. Last week, the Barneveld Fire Station responded to a building collapse in the Mapledale Business District when the HUD-Son Forest Equipment shipping and receiving building gave way.
The HUD-Son Forest Equipment shipping and receiving building after collapse in Trenton, New York.
(Barneveld Fire Department)
In nearby Oswego County, officials said 67 structures caved in due to the snow. More than 6.5 feet of snow was recorded in parts of Oswego County during the lake-effect snowstorm last week.