February 17, 2015

'Ice Palace' in West Philadelphia demolished

L&I rules building "imminently dangerous"

By Elisa Lala
PhillyVoice Contributor

Chad Pradelli/Twitter

Concerns are growing that this burned out home of ice may collapse under the weight.

A West Philadelphia building that was coated in ice as the result of firefighters putting out a blaze last week, was torn down Monday.

Firefighters responded to the blaze Feb. 16 at the vacant Locust Medical Center on the 200 block of S. 52nd St. With the temperature outside at three degrees and a wind chill factor of 16-below, water used to dose the flames quickly froze.

The building, 6ABC reports, has been ruled "imminently dangerous" by L&I, who ordered its demolition.

NBC Philadelphia reporter Vince Lattanzio tweeted a photo of the aftermath next to a photo of the building, which became known as the "Ice Palace."

A week after being gutted by fire & encased in ice, Philly's 'Ice Palace' is coming down: http://t.co/mXYDWshb72 pic.twitter.com/ws1YdkpkIi
— Vince Lattanzio (@VinceLattanzio) February 23, 2015

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After hours fighting the fire in frigid conditions, the firefighters were able to extinguish the blaze. But dousing the structure in water has caused another problem: ice – a lot of ice.

Though the snow- and ice-coated building is quite the spectacle, officials are worried the weight of the ice will cause the building to collapse.

Roads within a three-block perimeter have been closed as a precaution, 6ABC reports. No injuries from the fire were reported, and an investigation into the cause remains underway.