This story is still breaking as the Provo City Fire Marshall, inspectors and the owner sift through the rubble that is now this once magnificent building. It is thought that few major conclusions will be reached before the end of January, 2011. There is a 9' thick, compacted debris layer whose contents must be photographed, typed and collected in order to gain enough understanding of what went on and what the prospects are for rebuilding.
The contractors continue to secure and stabilize the structure during this time.
Here continues our story from the previous page...
Due to the nature of the roof structures, the difficulty of access to them and the unknown progress of the fire, plus smoke and fire gaining in lower structures, it was determined that only a defensive war could be waged against it for safety sake. Firemen sprayed water continually into the structure until well into the following night over 18 hours later. During the 4 o'clock hour, the west end of the roof where the fire began collapsed. The entire roof collapsed between 5am and 6am leaving the tabernacle nothing but four towers and four precariously (?) standing walls.
Provo City Fire continued to fight flames Friday night and declared the combat over. Then began the building of fences.
The evening preceding the night of the fire, a choral rehearsal for a performance the next evening was conducted. Also, in preparation for a gala concert to be held later still by Lex de Azevedo, the hall was filled with expensive a half dozen digital cameras owned by the Church valued in excess of $100,000 each, sound equipment, decorations and musical instruments such as a Fazioli piano. Incidental losses in addition to the edifice itself and its usual trappings run as high as $3 million.
The misfortunate choral concert was held in the Alpine Tabernacle in American Fork, Utah. Attendees gave generously to a fund to replace equipment and costumes lost in the fire. Lex de Azevedo's Gloria will be held in the events center at Utah Valley University. (This is not an official announcement of that event.)
By late Saturday, a print of Christ's Second Return was removed from the rubble and given to the Church. Poignantly, the only thing left unburned or unblackened of the print was an oval-shaped area at the center of the painting just around the depiction of Christ Himself.
Saturday evening, a safety fence was in place around the building and access through University Avenue had been restored as well as access to 100 South. However, by Sunday, access to 100 South, arguably the most precarious area in case of collapse, had been cut off anew.
After the engineering meeting on Saturday morning, it was determined that the roof and former contents of the building were consolidated into a layer just 9' thick that would have to be sorted through, in particular the west end, before a determination of cause could be reached. This is expected to take at very least days.
A memorial service of sorts was held preceding the Lex de Azevedo concert Sunday evening, 19 December 2010, in the Utah Valley University Events Center. Photos (many from this web site) were shown as a slide show. Mayor Curtis presided.
Contractors were called in on Monday and Tuesday, 21 December 2010, to consolidate those parts of the structure deemed by engineers to be the most dangerous to investigators. Reinforcement of some parts as well as light demolition of others is expected. This work was compounded by the heaviest snowfall in something like 16 years—exceeding 12" in some bench locations. Later Tuesday, the weather turned warm making everything very wet.
See page 1 photos
