Cummins distributorÆs Fresno warehouse roof collapses during storm
Succumbing to the weight of rain and hail from an area thunderstorm, the roof of a Fresno warehouse used by the West Coast distributor of Cummins engines and parts collapsed Tuesday night.
Normally staffed with more than 60 workers during business hours, the 80,000-square-foot warehouse of Cummins West was nearly empty when a 'several hundred-square-foot' section of roof came down, said local fire officials. The lone employee working at the time evacuated the warehouse after hearing the first sounds of the collapse. He was not injured, fire officials said.
In addition to the damage from the roof section and rain water, the collapse also fractured the building's overhead fire sprinkler system and caused further flooding.
While not a total loss, the building will have to remain closed to employees until fire department officials can assess the damage.
San Leandro-based Cummins West Inc. is the exclusive distributor of Cummins and Onan products with eight locations in central and northern California and Hawaii. The privately held firm employs more than 500 workers.