Neighbors forced to evacuate after roof collapses at their apartment building

SPRINGDALE BOROUGH, Pa. — Residents of an apartment building in Springdale Borough have been evacuated after a roof collapse.

The roof of the Butler Street Apartment building came crashing down Monday morning, sending water pouring into a third-floor unit and destroying several apartments below.

Fire officials said the roof of the Butler Street Apartments, located in the 200 block of Butler Street, collapsed due to the weight of water during recent storms.

All utilities to the building have been shut off.

Around 15 people were evacuated on buses and taken to a different location for shelter. They are being helped by the American Red Cross.

Richard Rentsman shared cell phone video from inside his apartment. His ceiling collapsed into his living room, sending brown water pouring down into his apartment, destroying everything.

“I don’t know where I am going to go or what I am going to do,” Rentsman tells Channel 11. “I’m 75 years old.”

He called the fire department, fearing the water would spark a fire. That’s when they evacuated everyone. He and 15 neighbors, along with their pets, were bused over to the borough building where they can spend the night until the Red Cross helps find them housing.

Springdale’s Fire Chief said water also got into the electrical system, which could spark a fire. The utilities have been cut off, and nobody is allowed inside.

“It’s a hazard on multiple levels,” Fire Chief Dan Copeland tells Channel 11. “At this time, the walls are bowed inward, so we have a structural engineer that’s going to be coming out from the borough.”

Rentsman says he can’t afford to move anywhere else, and everything in his apartment is destroyed.

“The couch is gone,” Rentsman said. “The floor is going to have to be all redone. The carpet is just soaked. It’s going to turn to mold.”

We asked the fire department if they’ve had other structural issues at this building. They said this is a first.

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