Vacant home collapses in Schuylkill County

SHENANDOAH, SCHUYLKILL COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — A vacant home in Shenandoah Schuylkill County was demolished late Friday afternoon, crews were called in to take the building down when it started crumbling on its own.

“Stuff is falling, mother nature is taking its course on one hundred-plus-year-old structures,” said Wesley Kacilowicz a demolishing contractor.

An old vacant home on Chestnut Street in Shenandoah, came crashing down early Friday afternoon.

“As far as this structure is concerned it lasted its life. It’s done,” says Kacilowicz.

“I was shocked,” added Danouski.

The three-story house according to the Schuylkill County 911 response center was vacant.

Luckily no one was injured when it started to fall.

“Nobody got hurt here. Nothing ended up on the street. Nobody was damaged. No cars got hit,” continued Kacilowicz.

Residents in the neighborhood who walk by these houses regularly weren’t surprised by the collapse.

“A lot of abandoned houses and everything around here they should all be knocked down,” stated Danouski.

About five hours after the building collapsed, a local demo crew was already here doing the demolition.

The owner of Kass’s Demolishing says he is very busy in Shenandoah. This house along with a lot of other homes were once owned by coal miners over one hundred years ago.

Kascilowicz says water damage rotted the wooded structure leading to the building’s collapse.

“These properties are at least 150 years old and if you don’t do any updating remodeling to them, they’re going to fall down,” explained Webb.

Kacilowicz can already see problems in the house next door

“The roof on that one is just as bad as this one that one will be next,” said Kacilowicz.

The owners of the demo crew on site shared he noticed there has been more focus on the demolishing of run-down structures in the area the past few years by the county and now it’s a game of catch-up.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PAhomepage.com.