Front of downtown Fulton building collapses

FULTON, Mo. (KMIZ)

The front of a building in downtown Fulton collapsed Wednesday, revealing an apartment in the top floor of the two-story building.

No injuries were reported, but the collapse displaced tenants, delayed a planned business opening and forced neighboring storefronts to close.

Police and fire crews were called around 10:40 a.m. to 505 Nichols St. in The Brick District after receiving reports that part of the building had collapsed.

Fulton Fire Chief Russell Sing said first responders focused first on making sure everyone got out safely.

“We arrive and upon our arrival, first thing we do is make sure all occupants were safe and had been evacuated. Utilities were shut off. It was confirmed that, no injuries,” Sing said.

Among those affected was Audra Grey, who had only been at work for about 15 minutes when her manager told her something had happened near her apartment. Grey stepped outside and immediately realized the building that collapsed was hers.

“I run outside and I'm like, ‘Oh, that's my apartment.’ And then I see my dog standing outside the wall on my bed about looking like he's going to jump,” Grey said.

Grey said she ran back into the damaged building to rescue her dog.

“I took a look at the floor, and it was very much so sloping down towards where it had fallen… A lot of adrenaline was running through my body while trying to get my dog safe and free from harm. So I'm just glad he's okay,” Grey said.

The collapse left part of Grey’s apartment exposed and damaged a coffee shop underneath that had been preparing to open next week.

The lower floor was occupied by a coffee shop getting ready for a grand opening, Hitchin' Java. The coffee shop posted on Facebook that an espresso machine and generator were inside, so a planned opening this week will not take place.

The impact extended beyond the collapsed storefront.

Next door, Jazzy’s Sweets N Treats was boarded up on Wednesday afternoon. The owner told ABC 17 News the building had been condemned, and they did not know when the business would be able to reopen.

As dust and debris spread across downtown, police shut down Nichols Street and began evacuating nearby buildings.

“Every officer, detective that we had, on, which was several, immediately responded to assess the situation. They informed me of what was happening, and I asked them to evacuate every business on that block on that side of the street,” Fulton Police Chief Bill Ladwig said.

With storms moving into the area later in the day, crews began demolishing portions of the exposed second story to prevent loose debris from being blown from the structure.

The cause of the collapse remains under investigation.

“It’s under investigation,” Sing said. “We are waiting for engineers and other people to arrive and take care of the rest.”

Ladwig said there had been no prior indication the building was unsafe.

“They are older. We had no indication that there was an issue here. But things happen. Things do degrade over time,” Ladwig said.

The Callaway Historical Society told ABC 17 News the building dates back to the late 1800s.

While no official cause has been identified, Grey as well as one nearby business owner, said workers had recently been repairing a brick facade inside the building.