SCHUYLKILL COUNTY, PA – Nearly 72 hours after a contractor working on the site of the former Kaier Brewery noticed the abandoned building twisting and debris falling to the ground, the building located on North Main Street began to be knocked down Thursday afternoon.
The Mahanoy City Fire Department and Emergency Management Agency had been on the scene since the danger began Tuesday morning and were there to help plan the demolition and ensure public safety. The Command Post was set up at the Mahanoy Water Authority Building where crews were able to set up an extensive accountability board on the front porch and hold meetings inside.
A large crane was brought to the scene Wednesday evening and engineers devised a plan that was presented Thursday morning to Mahanoy City Borough officials, engineers and state officials.
After noon, the crane began to poke at the building while fire crews were positioned on multiple sides of the building with lines charged to help control dust. West End Rescue had tools staged and advanced rescue devices at the ready in case something went wrong. Both BLS and ALS ambulances were also on the scene in case of an emergency. Fire police from multiple communities came to the scene to help with crowd control of the large number of residents that came to watch the action unfold.
Since the initial report of a compromised building, crews were concerned the building could collapse on its own. After the crane began to poke at the building, those concerns were ceased as the building didn’t budge. The crane continued around the building and carefully took out the majority of the two top floors in small pieces of walls.
As darkness set in, the crane ceased operations. The scene was turned over to the contractors who secured the scene and made plans to continue work on Friday. The fire department and other first responders were finally clear of the scene and were able to return home for a good night’s sleep in their own beds.
Throughout the operation, many local businesses stepped up and donated food and other resources to the fire department and first responders as they were giving up their time to serve the public.
