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Tag: structural engineer

  • Venerable Echo Park church dome at risk of collapse

    Venerable Echo Park church dome at risk of collapse

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    When Pastor Frank Wulf thinks about his congregation being unable to worship in their home of 100 years, he is reminded of the Old Testament scripture of the Israelites in exile.

    Wulf’s church, Echo Park United Methodist Church on North Alvarado Street and Reservoir Street in northeast Los Angeles, is not currently safe for occupation. The century-old dome over the church’s bell tower was damaged by the recent atmospheric rivers that pounded California, and structural engineers say it could topple into the church and lead to a snowball effect of collapses that could injure people inside the structure.

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    Notices are taped to the doors at Echo Park United Methodist Church, which has been a community beacon for 100 years.

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    Rain damaged and moldy walls inside Echo Park United Methodist Church,

    1. Pieces of a collapsed roof lay on the floor below the golden dome that sits atop Echo Park United Methodist Church. 2. Notices are taped to the doors at Echo Park United Methodist Church, which has been a community beacon for 100 years. 3. Rain damaged and moldy walls inside Echo Park United Methodist Church, which has been a community beacon for 100 years. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

    But just as the Israelites did when the Persians let them back into the land of Israel, Wulf says they will rebuild.

    “The church is really not a building but a community of people, a community that’s cared for each other over a long period of time,” Wulf said.

    Wulf’s congregation has been out of its historic home since Feb. 1, the pastor said.

    That came after the first pounding storm of the season led to the partial collapse of the tower, exposing the wood that holds up the golden dome.

    The wood had badly deteriorated: There was dry rot, termites and water damage.

    The first structural engineer who inspected the building told Wulf and his team that the church was not a safe place for groups to congregate.

    The evacuation of the building affects not just the 40 or 45 people who attend Sunday services, but also the others in the community whom the church serves.

    Wulf said services for homeless Angelenos, such as showers outside the building and free food, have had to be paused.

    He also had to inform the 12-step groups for people struggling with alcoholism or other substance use disorders that they could not meet at the church, at least for now.

    A man stands next to a staircase in a wood-paneled room

    Pastor Frank Wulf of Echo Park United Methodist Church in one of the rooms severely damaged by the recent heavy rainfall.

    (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

    The church had been building temporary shelter for migrants bused to Los Angeles from Texas. It was supposed to welcome four families to live in the space in mid-February, but it had to halt that program as well.

    “Our primary commitment is to keep everyone safe,” the church team said in a statement on a GoFundMe page they posted to raise money for the work needed to reopen.

    Wulf has not decided yet if they will repair the century-old building.

    “Would this be the appropriate time to perhaps take the whole building down and start from scratch?” he asked.

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    Noah Goldberg

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  • 10 Freeway in downtown L.A. shut down indefinitely following fire

    10 Freeway in downtown L.A. shut down indefinitely following fire

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    The 10 Freeway in downtown Los Angeles was shut down indefinitely in both directions early Saturday after two wooden pallet yards caught fire, damaging an overpass and destroying several vehicles, including a fire truck, authorities said.

    Both westbound and eastbound lanes of the heavily traveled freeway are closed between Alameda Street and Santa Fe Avenue, while structural engineers assess the damage, said Lauren Wonder, a CalTrans spokeswoman.

    “As of now, the freeway is shut down indefinitely,” Wonder said. “I would encourage people to avoid this area between the East L.A. interchange and Alameda Street.”

    The fire was reported shortly after midnight in the 1700 block of East 14 Street after a pallet yard under the freeway caught fire and spread to a second pallet yard nearby.

    The massive fire prompted Californai Highway Patrol to issue a SigAlert and closed the freeway in both directions. Traffic on the eastbound lanes was being diverted at Santa Fe Avenue while traffic on the westbound lanes was being diverted at Alameda Street.

    Los Angeles fire officials said firefighters from 26 companies and one helicopter responded to the scene and prevented the fire spreading into nearby commercial buildings. Heavy equipment operators were also used to move debris around and allow firefighters to douse small pockets of fire.

    Firefighters douse the still smoldering massive pallet fire that gutted Fire Engine 17, right, which became stuck under the 10 Freeway overpass at 1700 block of East 14th Street on Saturday in Los Angeles.

    (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times)

    The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power also assisted by boosting water pressure in the area to compensate for the high volume needed.

    Fire officials said the fire forced several homeless people to evacuate the area but vehicles parked under or near the freeway were damaged or destroyed. Officials said one of those vehicle was a fire engine.

    The fire was extinguished as of 10 a.m. but firefighters continue to mop up the area. Caltrans officials also remained on the scene.

    Wonder said hazmat teams are waiting on firefighters to finish mopping up the area and will head in to ensure that it’s safe for structural engineers to go in and assess the extent of the damage to the freeway.

    “We see what we call ‘concrete spalling,’ which is chips of concrete that come off but we won’t know the extent of the damage until the structural engineers can go in and see if the rebar was burned or not,” she said. “This is still developing.”

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    Ruben Vives

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