JERRY McBRIDE/Herald photos
Durango Fire & Rescue Authority Chief Dan Noonan, right, and La Plata County Office of Emergency Preparedness Director Butch Knowlton look over the debris Monday that shot out of building on Animas View Drive after it collapsed.
Snow brings building down
Series of storms leave mark on area rooftops
February 5, 2008
By Shane Benjamin and Karen Boush
Residents attempted to dig out from another winter storm Monday, but after weeks of accumulation, they were presented with a new challenge: clearing accumulated snow from rooftops.
A large metal structure that housed a skating rink in the 1960s collapsed Monday in the 500 block of Animas View Drive. The building, estimated to be 110 feet long and 80 feet wide, made a loud crash as it hit the ground. It was vacant, and no one was injured.
"Snow loading is a concern," said Dave Abercrombie, spokesman for the Durango Fire & Rescue Authority. "Some of the structures are on the edge (of collapse)."
The avalanche danger in the northern and southern San Juans was listed as "extreme." Heavy snow with high winds loaded all aspects and elevations, making natural and triggered avalanches certain, according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center. Backcountry travel was discouraged.