March 3rd, 2010 - DERRY TOWNSHIP, Pa.

A Weiss Furniture warehouse collapsed Wednesday under the weight of mounds of snow on its roof in Derry Township, Westmoreland County.

Bradenville Fire Department Chief Mark Piantine said the call came in at about 3:30 a.m. He said the building on Spring Street and its contents are a total loss, estimated at more than $200,000.

"When I came up, it was the front of the building, and it didn't look that bad," said Fred McCloy, of Weiss Furniture. "And then we went around the side, and then it looked like a hurricane went through or something."

The collapse crushed thousand of dollars worth of tables, chairs and mattresses that would have been sold at Weiss Furniture in downtown Latrobe. Luckily, it happened in the early morning hours when none of the four warehouse employees was working.

"That could have been really bad. Someone could have gotten killed," said McCloy.

The building collapsed toward the road, but Piantine said it would have taken down two nearby warehouse buildings and caused much more damage if it had collapsed any other way.

"Our first concern was the utilities, so we had to make sure -- we had a gas leak and take care of the electrical power, make sure it was shut off. We notified Allegheny Power and Dominion Gas," Piantine said.

The building's two remaining walls are leaning toward the inside, making it too dangerous to try salvaging any of the furniture.

Piantine said there is still a concern that the other two buildings will collapse. They will be checked by engineers that the company will hire, the chief said.