The partial collapse of a Hawthorne apartment building over the weekend forced occupants in four buildings to evacuate, and it may be weeks before some are able to return to their homes, the borough’s mayor said.
Authorities responded to Building E of the Hawthorne Garden Apartments on Rock Road around 9 a.m. Sunday after a resident reported hearing a “loud bang,” Mayor John Lane told NorthJersey.com on Monday afternoon.
Responders evacuated all residents from the building and went to the basement, where they found part of a wall caved in. It fell on some equipment used for gas and heat in Buildings D, E, F and H in the complex, Lane said.
Nine residents in Building E were forced to evacuate Sunday and were allowed back in Monday to get “essentials,” Lane said. The residents in D, F and H were allowed to remain in their homes, but the mayor said they would likely have to relocate as well due to the lack of heat in the winter.
Lane could not provide a timeline for the residents to be able to live in their units again but said, “I don’t think it’s going to be in the next few days.” Residents of Building E may be displaced for several weeks, he said.
There are 36 total apartments in Buildings D, F and H, though Lane was unsure how many are occupied now.
The complex’s architect and the Hawthorne construction official were at the scene on Rock Road on Monday to come up with a plan to repair the building. In the meantime, the property owner is working with the borough and the Red Cross to secure temporary housing for the displaced residents, Lane said.
The collapse was likely the result of “weather-related conditions,” Fire Chief Joseph Speranza told NorthJersey.com. He noted that the building appeared to have water damage and ground saturation from the recent storms that led to flooding in several areas.
Responders at the scene spent Sunday evening shoring up the building, temporarily supporting it to prevent more damage, Speranza said. He described the process as “complex” but said that as of Monday morning, “no further movement had occurred.”
Sunday’s collapse at the two-story brick apartment building marked the second such incident in Hawthorne in six months.
In September, a piece of brick wall measuring 50 to 60 feet fell from Hawthorne High School and rained debris on cars parked underneath. No one was injured, and the collapse did not affect the structure of the building.