SPECIAL: Mental Health. Scrupulosity: When
OCD meets religion. PAGE 5
LOCAL: Additional photos of the building
collapse. PAGE 9
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Friday, February 10, 2017 • Volume 4, Issue 6
Snow load crushes historic building
BY KERRY McQUISTEN
News@TheBakerCountyPress.com
On Sunday morning at
8:10 a.m., a multi-agency
response was called into
action as the old two-story
Crabill Building, construct-
ed in 1889, crumbled under
a heavy snow load.
The building, which
stands at 1916 Main Street,
is owned by Barbara Sid-
way and husband, Dwight.
Sidway said the Baker
City Fire Department’s
“response was virtually
immediate, perhaps three
minutes at most.”
She added, “What
wonderful resources we are
blessed with in our city.”
The cook at the Geiser
Grand called 911 when the
collapse happened.
Sidway recounts her
own experience:
“I was at my desk in my
offi ce in the lower level ...
Dwight was on the second
fl oor. Our maintenance guy
was actually on our roof.
None of us felt or heard
anything in the building!
Guests out in the parking
lot and out for a morning
stroll witnessed it, and
gestured wildly and yelled
to get the cook’s attention.
“He looked outside, saw
the bricks in the street and
thought is was our build-
ing. He called 911 and got
the remainder of the staff
all excited. I only learned
anything was up when I
overheard a waitress in a
panicked voice declare,
‘The roof collapsed.’
“I headed outside to see
what was up, and saw the
fi rst of many fi retrucks and
ambulances coming down
Resort Street.
“As I looked at the
debris fi eld, it was hard to
process what I was seeing;
the mind doesn’t want to
believe what seems not
possible. Then my mind
moved toward whether
anyone was injured, so it
was great to see the fi rst re-
sponders already in action.
“What an enormous
relief that no one was hurt
or even hit! How fortunate
that was; a team of three
had been doing sidewalk
snow and ice removal just
20 minutes before and
would surely have been
hurt.”
According to Baker City
Fire Department (BCFD)
Chief Tom Wills, “The
majority of the collapse
occurred on the second
fl oor towards the back of
the building. Firefi ght-
ers quickly evacuated the
buildings on both sides
of the collapse, which
included guests and staff
of the Geiser Grand Hotel.
The Fire Department and
the Police Department es-
tablished a ‘Unifi ed Com-
mand’ and managed the
incident throughout the day
with support from Baker
Rural Fire Department,
Cascade Natural Gas,
OTEC and Baker Sanitary.
A Structural Engineer
arrived and inspected the
damage with fi refi ghters.”
Sidway said Chief Wills
took command within the
hour. Brass from the Baker
City Police Department
(BCPD) did not respond
to the incident. BCPD Sgt.
Wayne Chastain and Patrol
Offi cer Shannon Regan
were on site.
BCFD Engine 2431,
Truck 2451, Rescue 2471,
Ambulance’s 2422, 2420,
and Command 2472 were
brought to the location.
Sidway said, “As I
moved outside to get the
larger view of what hap-
pened, I talked to guests
in the parking lot who
wanted to share what
they witnessed. They said
they’d never heard or seen
anything like it, and would
never forget it. No pre-
quel or warning sounds or
sights, just a sudden crash.
The guests were so kind
and compassionate.”
The BCFD announced
that an evacuation was
needed. Surrounding
streets were cordoned off.
Sidway said, “We asked
our guests to check out
early, apologized to them
for the inconvenience
and gave every one a gift
certifi cate for a future stay.
We explained to guests
breakfasting in the Café
that we couldn’t fi ll their
orders and sent them out to
Lone Pine and Sweet Wife.
We sent all staff home.”
Kerry McQuisten / The Baker County Press
An overload of heavy, wet snow brought down the roof of the building at 1916 Main Street beside the
historic Geiser Grand Hotel, sending debris toppling down onto Resort Street.
Kerry McQuisten / The Baker County Press
Jason Bybee of the Baker City Fire Department
helps guard the area for the public’s safety.
She said, “Then we con-
tinued on with process of
shutting down a business.
I was in my offi ce calling
down guests with reserva-
tions for that night, when
suddenly I was in total
Kerry McQuisten / The Baker County Press
Responders help evacuate the parking lot of the
Geiser Grand in slushy, slick conditions.
darkness; the power was
shut off! Had I known they
would do that, I would
have in a proper manner
shut down the dozens of
electrical systems that we
have here in the building.
We were at risk of losing
our food in our large walk-
in coolers and freezers. We
explained that to the au-
thorities. The City called
out Hanley Engineering
to look at the buildings
and found that really the
Hotel was not involved,
and was not in danger of
collapse. An offi cer made
the kind and wise decision
to turn power back on to
the Hotel. Still that sudden
shut down was the most
diffi cult part of the evacu-
ation.”
SEE COLLAPSE PAGE 9
5J: Parents talk Hungry wildlife a
about 5-day week topic at County
BY SAMANTHA O’CONNER
BY TODD ARRIOLA
Samantha@TheBakerCountyPress.com
Todd@TheBakerCountyPress.com
Wednesday, February 1, the Baker School District Board held their meeting that had
been postponed in January due to weather conditions.
The meeting began with presentations.
From the Baker Technical Institute, Kaeli Flanagan was presented as the “Promise of
Baker Student of the Month.” The Baker City Lions Club was presented with the Busi-
ness of the Quarter.
The Baker County Board of Commissioners held a work session on Wednesday,
February 8, 2017, 9 a.m., which included, among other discussions, an Oregon Depart-
ment of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) update from Baker District Wildlife Biologist Brian
Ratliff and Assistant Wildlife Biologist Justin Primus.
Present from the Board were Chair Bill Harvey, Commissioners Mark Bennett and
Bruce Nichols, and Executive Assistant Heidi Martin. Attendance also included Baker
County Sheriff’s Department Lieutenant Warren Thompson, and Wanda Ballard.
SEE 5J PAGE 8
SEE COUNTY PAGE 7
Friday
Mostly cloudy with a chance for rain/snow show-
ers. Highs near 40. Chance of precipitation is
40%. Friday Night: Light snow showers.
Saturday
Mostly sunny and seasonable. Highs in the mid
30s. Saturday Night: Partly cloudy and season-
ably chilly. Lows in the mid teens.
Sunday
Mostly sunny and seasonable. Highs in the mid
30s. Sunday Night: Partly cloudy. Lows near 20.
Your weekend weather forecast for Baker County.
Our forecast made possible by this
generous sponsor:
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE
Interior design business moves
First Friday meeting held
So I was thinking... by Jimmy Ingram
Offi cial weather provider for
The Baker County Press.
911 Dispatch joint meeting held
Attic fi re on 3rd Street
Homemade Goodness column
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