Hall's Mall warehouse collapsing

MONTICELLO, Ind, (WLFI) - A burnt building in Monticello is still not safe for firefighters to enter. The Hall's Mall warehouse is on the verge of a complete collapse. This could be a safety issue not only for the fire crews, but for the whole city, as the collapse could break a water main.

Monticello firefighters said the number one priority is making sure no one gets injured. Construction equipment is doing all of the heavy lifting for firefighters working on clean up at Hall's Mall. The building is almost burnt down to the ground.

Monticello Fire Captain Robert Hickman said that the department had several concerns regarding the unstable structure. The safety of the firefighters themselves was obviously a concern.

"But another concern is on the west wall of the facility," said Hickman. "There is a cement bearing wall that's collapsed inward, and part of the earthen bank is beginning to wash out. We have concrete that is actually suspended over air."

Captain Hickman said without a solid foundation, the whole back wall could give way, causing damage to a 16-inch water main. Any damage to the water main could cause contamination for the city's water.

Water Superintendent Ron Pool said in excess of 4 million gallons of water was pumped from the municipal water system to fight the fire.

"The first night of the fire, they pumped so much water, that we had to basically - once they had this contained - we had to tell them, 'Hey, back up on the water usage, so we don't run the town out of water.' This a health and safety issue, and it's very important that we do not run the rest of the citizens out of water," said Pool.

Monticello Fire Captain Stephen Fisher estimated that over 700,000 gallons of water were pumped into the structure: 365,000 gallons from hydrants and 381,000 gallons from the river.

The state fire marshall's office is investigating.

Hickman said the office is still in the early stages of determining the cause of the fire, but it is certain where the fire started.

"The northern end of the building, approximately in the center." said Hickman. "We were able to determine that by the rumble and the roar that the fire gives off. We were able to locate the main body of the fire. We were starting to put water on it, and that's when the fire broke through the roof, and the roof collapsed, and the wall collapsed outward, just barely missing the crew."

The Monticello Fire Department will continue to check on the hot spots in the days to come.