Two Graeagle homes buckle under the weight of the snow
By Debra Moore
Two homes on Miwok Trail in Graeagle were no match for the heavy snow that blanketed them. The first collapsed at 4:15 p.m. on Monday, March 13, while the second one collapsed sometime that night and was discovered at 6:30 a.m. on Tuesday, March 14.
Graeagle Fire Chief Ed Ward said that he had been at the site of the first house just minutes before it collapsed. A neighbor had called the sheriff’s office dispatch center to say that he could hear the structure making popping and cracking sounds. Dispatch alerted Ward.
Ward said that both homes, which were mobile homes circa late ’60s to early ’70s, collapsed when the living room area failed because there are no inner walls to provide support. Additionally, Ward said that the homes are located in a heavily treed area with no sun to help melt the snow. The structures were both vacation homes and were unoccupied at the time.
After the collapse, Ward and his crew disconnected the utilities and notified the building department. The owners will need to apply for a demolition permit from the county to remove the structures.
In addition to the two residences, Ward said that a couple of outbuildings also collapsed in the Graeagle area. He encourages residents to be vigilant and shovel their roofs when it becomes necessary. Below is a handy document provided by the building department to help determine when a roof should be shoveled.
This is a view of the second home that collapsed earlier this week on Miwok Trail in Graeagle. Photo by Ed Ward
A closer view of the first structure that collapsed on March 13 in Graeagle. Photo by Ed Ward
