JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Most of the fire crews have cleared out of the RISE Doro apartments.
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Jacksonville Fire Rescue said one crew will remain to monitor hotspots into the night.
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Fences are up and the demo crews are set to roll in on Wednesday. A city spokesperson said the fire is under control, and we can expect to see this building come down as early as Thursday. And it’s clear this structure is already falling apart. A hole in the side of the building and roof can be seen, completely charred.
While it still has some lingering hotspots, JFRD spokesperson Eric Prosswimmer said moving forward with demolitions is the best option.
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“It’s ruined property,” Captain Prosswimmer said. “So, why would we risk anybody’s health and well-being or any future cost to the city in putting it out if it’s not necessary.”
Capt. Prosswimmer said this would also save the city money and resources.
But right now, one crew will continue to monitor hotspots into the night.
Jacksonville City Spokesperson, Phil Perry, said they have hired Elev8-Demolition, a local contractor in Jacksonville to knock the structure down.
In an emailed statement, he said in part, “[they] will start moving in equipment on Wednesday and Thursday. A safe demolition process will then proceed and move as swiftly as possible.”
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Perry said the fences have been added for public safety, and demolition could start as soon as Thursday.
Dr. Jeff Brown, a civil engineering professor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, said crews who are set to tear down the building will have to first evaluate the integrity of the inside.
“It’s probably going to be a question for them of whether it’s going to be controlled demolition where they can take piece by piece or floor by floor, from certain areas, or if it might be something where everything needs to come down at once and hopefully come down inwards on itself to avoid the surrounding buildings.”
Related Story: RISE Doro apartment complex structure deemed unsafe after fire, crews monitoring for flare-ups
Brown also said since the building appears to be a mixture of concrete and wood, the demolition efforts could be challenging.
“How do you remove the materials safely without jeopardizing surrounding buildings?”
Those surrounding buildings include businesses like Intuition Ale Works, Manifest Distilling, and even the VyStar Credit Memorial Arena.
Related Story: Intuition Ale Works, Manifest Distilling thank JFRD for fighting fire at neighboring RISE Doro
The Ice Man games scheduled for tomorrow and Friday night are still expected to happen, but the parking garage will be closed.
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Related Story: JFRD efforts continue for a third day at the RISE Doro, as talks on potential demolition begins
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