A partial building collapse on the 500 block of North 8th Street prompted an emergency response late Saturday afternoon, displacing 10 residents and shutting down part of the street while officials assess the damage.
The City of Reading Department of Fire and Rescue Services was dispatched at 3:21 p.m. on July 5 for a reported structural collapse at 501 N. 8th Street, near the intersection of 8th and Green streets.
According to Fire Marshal Jeremy Searfoss, the building’s front south-facing bearing wall had completely crumbled into the street. “The main issue at this point in time is we have the main exterior, the south bearing wall, that collapsed completely in the street,” said Searfoss. “We’re trying to verify that nobody was on the street. The front portion of the building was empty at the time of the collapse.”…