Part of building collapses in Cloverdale

Firefighters survey the damage to a building in Cloverdale after part of its back wall collapsed. No injuries from the incident have been reported.

Courtesy Cloverdale Township Volunteer Fire Department

CLOVERDALE – No injuries have been reported after part of a building in Cloverdale collapsed Wednesday afternoon.

The Cloverdale Township Volunteer Fire Department and Cloverdale Police Department were dispatched at about 12:05 p.m. for a reported structure collapse at 12 S. Main St. A partial collapse in the building’s backside was found, as well as a vehicle parked by it whose back window had been smashed by falling bricks.

The building, which is divided into different parts, was unoccupied at the time except for one individual, who called in the incident from the section where Waite Law Office is.

Three low-pressure gas lines on the outside were busted, but only one of them was in use and leaking. Duke Energy and CenterPoint Energy arrived later to secure the gas and electricity to the building. While the gas was shut off completely, power was cut off except to the attorney’s office.

The Greencastle Fire Department also responded with its aerial truck, which was used to check overhead for roof damage.

Cloverdale Township Fire Chief Kerry Shepherd said that a cause for the collapse had not been determined, but that wind was not considered a factor.

Traffic in the area was able to continue while first responders were at the scene. Both Cloverdale Fire and Greencastle Fire were back in service by 1:30 p.m.

Shepherd said that Putnam County Building and Planning Director Lisa Zeiner and Cloverdale Town Manager Jason Hartman were present to see the damage. Meanwhile, the building’s owner was contacted so that an engineer could eventually survey it.