Children Escape Injury When Roof of Bowling Alley Collapses
Dozens of youngsters on a summer camp outing escaped injury Wednesday when the roof of a bowling alley collapsed, covering three bowling lanes with roofing material and wooden beams, authorities said.
Police and employees at Active West Bay Shore Bowl on Pico Boulevard evacuated 115 people--including the children and several workers who were installing a new roof on the building--when a 50-by-100-foot section of roof gave way about 2 p.m. No one was injured, officials said, although the debris landed close to where children were bowling, said Santa Monica Fire Chief Craig Collier.
“Another 20 feet to the north and there’d have been pure pandemonium,” said firefighter Fred Roberts.
Fire officials said the collapse was caused by a pile of old roofing material stacked in an unsupported area between two beams.
Mark Spiegel, one of the facility’s owners, said there were no structural problems with the roof and he hopes to reopen the bowling lanes in a few days.
Fire Department officials estimated the damage at $20,000.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
