Basement wall gives way under a Sunbury, Ohio storefront building, leaving its north wall leaning

Crews from the BST&G Fire District were sent at about 1:55 p.m. on Oct. 25 and got there a minute later, according to the district's release. A large section of the wall on the East Cherry Street side had given way, and soil under part of the sidewalk next to it was exposed. Firefighters evacuated Village Hair Company; the building's two other storefronts were empty. Inspecting the damage, crews found cracks in the brick facade and in interior walls on the first floor.

They began shoring up the first floor from the basement with temporary supports, with help from the Porter Kingston Fire District's special operations trailer. The building got worse while they worked. New cracks opened, and the north wall along East Cherry Street started to lean outward. With everyone already out, the incident commander pulled firefighters out of the building and set up a safety perimeter. Crews also cut the building's utilities.

Delaware County Code Compliance posted the building unsafe until a forensic engineer evaluates it. The cause has not been determined. The fire district warned that the building may look stable from the street even though crews have seen signs it is still deteriorating. East Cherry Street will stay closed until officials decide it is safe; ODOT posted a detour using State Route 3/U.S. 36, State Route 605 and State Route 37 East. Trucks normally use the street as a shortcut between state routes, WBNS-TV reported.

It is the second structural failure on the square this year. The roof of the Atlas Insurance building at 35 E. Granville St. came down in February after heavy snow, NBC4 reported.