Roof Problems Mostly Commercial

Berlin Fire Marshal Steven Waznia said that local fire officials have not been called to any residences for problems with roofs but that three structures in town have had troubles due to the heavy snow and ice.

An old unoccupied supply building at Lyon & Billard saw its roof collapse over night. There were no injuries because it was at night. There likely would not have been any injuries anyways as it was an old building that houses old supplies and is well away from the actual store and lumber yard.

Stop & Shop closed because of the possibility that the roof design might be compromised.

"They called us to evaluate the situation and we evacuate as a precaution," Waznia said. "They need to have an engineer come in and clear them to open back up.

Stop & Shop was open for business this afternoon.

Home Depot, on the other hand, was closed all day Thursday, as a result of roof concerns. Workers were on the roof of Home Depot all day, removing the snow. They used tarps and a huge crane to get as much snow off the roof as they could. According to store officials, they hope to be open Friday but there was no timetable set to re-open the store.

"Homeowners should try to get as much snow and ice off the roof as they can," Waznia said. "If there is ice in the gutters, maybe they can throw some ice melt in there to get the water moving and take the pressure off the roof. Each gallon of water weighs 8.33 pounds, so it is important to get that water off the roof."

Waznia said not only roofs are in danger from this amount of snow and ice but decks and raised patios as well.

Workers were also seen today taking snow off the roofs of the Citgo Gas Station and the building that houses Kensington Opticians and other offices on Webster Square.

"It was nice to see some of the people I saw out there cleaning off roofs today," he said. "They were trying to be proactive rather than reactive and that is the way to avoid something bad happening."