Garden Center Roof Collapses at Ogden Avenue Big Kmart

Firefighters were called to the , at 1199 E. Ogden Ave., for a partial roof collapse Thursday morning in the garden center, according to a news release issued around 4 p.m. by the .

A 911 call came in at 9:36 a.m. and a specialized rescue group responded to the scene at 9:41 a.m., according to the release from Division Fire Chief Mark T. Ziemnik.

Upon arriving, the firefighters determined the one-story garden center attached to the south side of the store had a partially collapsed roof, according to the release. The store was occupied at the time of the collapse, but no one was injured. Employees began evacuating occupants before the Fire Department arrived.

Firefighters found half of the garden center’s roof had collapsed and the other half was unstable, according to the release. The sprinkler and fire alarm systems were taken out of service. The store will remain closed until the fire alarm and suppression systems are back in service. Most of the store’s contents were undamaged.

A total of 19 firefighters responded to the collapse including one engine company, one truck company, one heavy rescue squad, two medic units, one support vehicle, one shift commander, two safety officers, and one chief officer, according to the news release. Building Inspectors from the , and EFI Global engineers representing Sears Holdings were called to the scene to evaluate damage to the structure.

Nobody was injured in the incident. The Fire Department’s preliminary estimate of damage to the building is in excess of $200,000.