2 Anchorage commercial roof collapses reported in 2 days

Anchorage firefighters have responded to two partial collapses of commercial roofs in two days this week, as the city sets seasonal snowfall records.

No injuries were reported in either incident, according to the Anchorage Fire Department, with all occupants of the buildings accounted for.

Firefighters responded to the latest collapse, in the 7400 block of the Old Seward Highway just north of East 76th Avenue, at about 11:30 a.m. Wednesday. The earlier collapse, reported at about 9 a.m. Tuesday, also occurred in South Anchorage, in the 600 block of Raspberry Road.

The cause of both collapses remains under investigation, a spokesperson for the fire department said.

Anchorage’s first collapses of commercial roofs this winter occurred in December, after November’s major storms. Last week muni authorities recommended owners of residential and commercial buildings shovel snow from their roofs, saying 500 to 1,000 local structures have “roof trusses of immediate concern.”

That warning came before a storm that dumped more than a foot of snow overnight Sunday, pushing Anchorage past the 100-inch seasonal mark for winter snowfall on its earliest recorded date.

Alaskans see bitter cold, record-breaking snow and a winter defying El Niño predictions

A fire department statement cited that milestone Wednesday, urging residents to seek professional help assessing any buildings that may be at risk.

“If you have concerns about your home or commercial building, a structural engineer is the best person to conduct a building evaluation and determine risk and/or safety,” a fire department spokesperson wrote.