RIVERSIDE: Structural collapse severely compromises building under construction

RIVERSIDE – A structural collapse of a building under construction brought emergency first responders rushing to the location Wednesday afternoon, May 3. The collapse happened at a construction site in the unincorporated area of Riverside, west of I-215 on Meridian Parkway, according to fire officials.

Riverside County firefighters, sheriff’s deputies and other emergency first responders rushed to the scene of the accident, after emergency dispatchers received several 911 calls from citizens reporting an incident involving a structural collapse.

Twenty firefighters from three engine companies and one truck company responded to the structural collapse just after 2 p.m., according to Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire spokeswoman Jody Hagemann said in a written incident report. They were assisted by an urban search and rescue team.

“When firefighters arrived they located the exterior portion of a framed building that had (become) compromised and collapsed,” Hagemann explained. “The collapse damaged some equipment including a Pettibone lift.”

Cal Fire officials estimated that approximately 60 construction workers were working on the building when the collapse happened.

“Ten workers (were) working in the immediate area,” where the collapse happened, according to officials. “All escaped injury,” according to officials.

Firefighters immediately began search and rescue operations to determine if any victims were missing and to search for any victims, if necessary. Search and Rescue Team members quickly determined no workers were injured or trapped within the collapsed structure.

Cal/Osha personnel responded to the scene to assist with investigating the cause of the accident, which is still under investigation.

Their investigation into the collapse is active and ongoing.

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Contact the writer: trevor.rcns@gmail.com

Trevor Montgomery runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he writes for Riverside County based newspapers, Valley News and Anza Valley Outlook and also writes for Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County.

Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg and breaking his back in an off-duty accident.

During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations, including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center and Lake Elsinore Station, along with other locations.