Home collapses in Wynnefield hours after resident moved out over safety concerns
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A home in Philadelphia's Wynnefield neighborhood partially collapsed late Saturday night, sending debris into the front yard and startling neighbors who initially mistook the sound for thunder.
The collapse happened around 11 p.m. at the corner of Woodbine Avenue and Bryn Mawr Avenue. No one was inside at the time.
According to the Department of Licensing & Inspections, the property owner had died, and her grandmother had been living in the home, but she moved out because the family was worried about the building's structural condition.
According to a neighbor, she moved out Saturday.
"A couple hours before it happened," the neighbor, who lives next door but did not want to provide her name, told Action News.
"It sounded like a clap of thunder," the next-door neighbor said. "It was just before 11 last night, and it jolted the house next door to the extent that I pulled out my phone and checked to see what the weather was."
State Sen. Vincent Hughes, who represents the area and has an office just a few blocks away, said the collapse is "heartbreaking because we know this property, like we know most in this area."
He added, "We want a full and complete investigation about what exactly happened here so that we can make the right assessment in terms of how to go forward."
Carter Borden, who recently bought a home in Wynnefield, said the incident concerns him.
"I hope it doesn't happen to me. I'm sorry for those folks. I passed this house many times, and it was a good-looking house. Just the fact that there are things that can go on with old stone houses is my main concern," he said. "The house I bought was supposedly constructed in 1920, so I'm hoping that I find all the flaws before something like that catastrophic happens."
An L&I spokesperson said the home has been placed under an emergency demolition order "due to the significant structural instability and in the interest of public safety."
The cause of the collapse remains under investigation, and Hughes said his office plans to use the findings to help strengthen and invest in aging properties in the community.
