Residents of a Chelsea, Massachusetts, apartment building were forced to evacuate Sunday night after part of the building's facade collapsed, sending bricks raining down onto the street below.
It happened around 8:30 p.m. Fire crews responded to 38 and 40 Orange Street in Chelsea for a report of bricks falling off the building.
Resident Jenny Morales described the sound of the bricks falling to WBZ-TV.
"To be honest, I thought it was like a truck hit the building because it was really big, loud. When I come outside and see all the bricks, I was like, what just happened?" Morales said.
Nobody was injured, but all six units had to be evacuated, leaving six families without a home.
"They just told us to grab the most important stuff but it was in a hurry," Morales said.
Gas and power were shut off to the building. The road was temporarily shut down and an MBTA bus was called in to get residents out of the rain.
The city's inspectional services department is working with the Chelsea Fire Department to determine if the building is structurally sound.
"We recently acquired a drone unit. We used that drone unit today. We were able to see the roof of the building, the sides of the building. All four sides of the building," Chelsea Deputy Fire Chief Robert Denning said.
Action Emergency Management, who is working with the building inspector and fire officials, says a firewall separates the two structures, so residents who live on the left side do not have to evacuate.
"The right side of the wall is already bowing in three separate areas, so we're concerned about any more building falling down," said Mark Culleton, Action Emergency Management general manager. "So, our next step is to pull all of the rest of the loose debris and wood off and weathertight it."
The building was built in 1900, according to city records.
"People live in that building and people are always in and out," neighbor Tracey Murray said. "And if someone got hurt, it would have been a tragedy."
Crews will begin working to secure the building on Tuesday. No residents are allowed inside unless they are escorted by a firefighter.
