By Maria Luisa Figueroa
The Modesto Bee
MODESTO, Calif. — Cleanup efforts were well underway Tuesday morning at the Cost Less Food Company in Oakdale after a section of roof collapsed in the produce section during heavy rain on Monday.
Large garbage bins were outside the store, being filled with debris, as multiple construction workers began hauling in large pieces of wood.
Signs on the doors read “Temporarily closed” and “Sorry for the inconvenience. Please try our Riverbank location.” A few shoppers apparently were unaware of what happened Monday, because they parked, walked to the store, only to turn back after seeing the damage.
One shopper said she was at the store Monday around 1:30 p.m. and did not notice anything unusual, but left when the sky started to break with more intense weather. She returned Tuesday to see the damage.
Another shopper, Leo Robelero, did not know what had happened when he arrived with his young son, but said he would instead shop at Grocery Outlet in the same shopping center.
According to the incident summary from the Modesto Fire Department, multiple units were dispatched around 2:25 p.m. Monday after a call came in about a possible rescue, which was updated to a technical rescue while the units were on their way.
Upon arrival, crews found that a 25-by-25-foot section of the roof had collapsed in the right front part of the building.
The collapse broke the fire sprinkler system. Crews secured the water from the sprinkler system after it caused additional flooding.
Shoppers and employees were cleared from the area. Two people were taken to Oak Valley Hospital with minor injuries.
The Oakdale Police Department also responded and helped to secure the building using a thermal drone to look for anyone inside.
Fire crews and store staff ensured the store was vacant before the scene was released to the store owner and the city building inspector.
The store will be closed while crews clean up and fix the damage but it is not known yet for how long. Cost Less Food Company has not responded to a request for comment.
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