Eight storage units were heavily damaged last week when a roof collapsed under the weight of snow at a self-storage facility in Roy, Utah. Six of the units were completely destroyed. Failure to keep snow and ice cleared from the building likely contributed to the collapse, fire officials said.
"We think the roof collapsed due to a combination of the weight of the snow and the age of the building, said Jeff Comeau, deputy fire chief of the Roy Fire Department. Were not sure exactly how old it was, but it is an older type of construction."
No injuries were reported, although responding firefighters first thought someone may have been living inside one of the units and called in a heavy rescue team to conduct a search using cameras. No one was found.
After conducting interviews, investigators said they now do not believe anyone was inside any of the units when they collapsed. "We had reports that people have been in and out of there at different times of the year, so we had possible occupants, [but] no verified occupants," said Cody Draheim, assistant fire chief.
Tenant property stored in the units included vehicles and sports equipment. Four of the affected units were rented to members of one family. "It's a lot of stuff in there," said tenant Carol Wiggins, who rented two of the units and whose daughter rented two others. "I got a new camp trailer, my daughter's boat and an old Fiero that she was storing."
The facility primarily serves residents of nearby condominiums and apartments.
Sources:
- KSL.com: Storage Units Collapse Under Weight of Snow, Fire Dept. Says
- The Salt Lake Tribune: Snow-laden Roofing of Roy Storage Structure Collapses
