Dozens of residents were evacuated after the drywall of two buildings collapsed in a Huntington Beach apartment complex, a fire battalion chief said.
The first call to the Casa del Sol Apartments at 21661 Brookhurst Street came just before 8 a.m., Sunday said Huntington Beach Fire Department Battalion Chief Jeff Lopez.
The complex had been undergoing roof replacements since February, Lopez said. Solar panels were installed as roofs were replaced.
Crews working to replace the roofs of two buildings had covered them with tarps to guard against rain, he said. But rain had gotten through and compromised drywall in one unit.
Firefighters were called back to the apartment complex at 5:19 p.m. when the drywall collapsed in multiple units of Buildings 4 and 5, Lopez said. “It ranged from complete collapse of drywall in upper units to minor drywall damage in some lower units.”
The city’s building department tagged one building and part of the second uninhabitable and a total of 32 units were evacuated, including all 24 in one building and 8 in the other, he said. “I would estimate at least two people per unit and there were some families.”
Southern California Edison made sure the power in the affected units cannot be turned on until it is safe, Lopez said.
Property management authorized reimbursements of $150 per night for residents to stay in hotels, he said.
There were no injuries and residents were able to gather important belongings and documents before they left, Lopez said.
“Hopefully it won’t get worse if there’s more significant rain tonight,” he said. The roofing contractor had not gotten anyone out to shore up the roof coverings.
—City News Service