Just yesterday, a building housing eight businesses partially collapsed in Mattoon, everyone made it out safely before and no, an explosion was not the cause, but a result.
The Mattoon Fire Department was dispatched to 19th St. and Western Ave. at exactly 1:02 p.m. for a building collapse, though crews were already on scene before the call even came in as the station sits across the street, and firefighters heard the collapse as it happened. The collapse of the building mainly affected The Joint Smoke Shop, with the neighboring Little Caesars taking some of the same damage to the conjoining wall and portion of their roof too.
Crews immediately searched the entire building to account for everyone inside all eight businesses. Fire officials say employees later confirmed they’d heard the building making noises and saw drywall falling and a window break, so they had already started evacuating before the collapse happened. Surveillance video also helped confirm no one was on the sidewalk, in the Little Caesars drive-through, or near the building when it came down.
The collapse then broke a gas line running into the building, and crews found a leak under the building’s southeast corner. Ameren was notified immediately and worked to shut off the gas, though the break required digging up a valve in the street to fully resolve the issue. It was then determined there was no immediate safety risk, search operations inside the collapse area were paused until Ameren crews cleared the leak and moved to a safe distance. Once that happened, search teams brought in excavators to carefully remove debris and use search cameras to confirm no one was trapped in the smoke shop or the collapsed section.
A technical rescue team made up of specially trained members from Mattoon, Charleston, and other area departments also responded, bringing in specialized equipment from Charleston to assist with the structural collapse response.
The cause of the collapse is still under investigation, and the city plans to bring in a structural engineer to determine what actually happened and to also confirm the building is safe for any of the remaining businesses to reopen.
The eight businesses affected are The Joint Smoke Shop, Little Caesars, CK Nails, Hair Force 1, Armstrong Grooming, Paws, Healing Touch, and JWP Enterprises.
Western Avenue between 19th and 20th Street will remain closed, along with the eastbound lane of Prairie between 19th and 20th, while other businesses in the immediate area outside the collapsed building remain open as normal as of Friday.
Fire officials thanked a long list of agencies and community members who helped during the response, including: Coles/Moultrie 911, Charleston Fire Department, Mattoon Police Department, Mattoon Public Works, city administration staff, Ameren, Curry Construction, and 1st Class Wrecker Service, along with several community members and businesses who brought food and water to responders on scene.
The city says it will provide updates through social media as the investigation and subsequent cleanup continues, and will hold a media briefing Friday at 2:30 p.m. at Mattoon City Hall, 208 N. 19th St!
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