LANCASTER, Pa.
--
Hundreds of bricks slid off the front of three Lancaster City row homes Tuesday morning, crashing through porch roofs on their way to the sidewalk below.
Officials think that the recent rains may have contributed to the façade's collapse.
"I just heard a big thud," said Harry Stoe, who was in his bedroom when the bricks crashed down along Wise Avenue.
Stoe said he's lived in his home for 56 years.
"(I was) paying for something all of them years, only to have it fall down when it's paid for," he said.
Stoe's home, and his neighbors', are structurally sound. It's the façade that collapsed and created a big mess.
"Luckily, nobody was injured," said Susan Warchola of the Lancaster Bureau of Fire. "There was nobody out front. So nobody was hit with the bricks."
Firefighters shut down Wise Avenue and pried away other loose bricks from the front of the building on Tuesday morning.
Officials think that the recent rains may have contributed to the façade's collapse.
"It appears that there are water marks, that it may have been coming through for awhile," said Warchola.
Crews are checking four other row homes along the block for damage.
Checking Your Home
The homes involved in the collapse were built in the 1940s. The bricks were connected right to the concrete walls.
Newer homes have a stronger connection system.
However, if you are concerned about what you should look for on your home, here's what you should do:
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