Window Washing Scaffolding Sends Broken Glass Raining Down

An unoccupied window washing scaffolding began swinging uncontrollably atop an East Village condominium high-rise Monday, smashing through a window before crews were able to secure it.

Window Washing System Swings Off High-Rise Roof: Firefighters worked quickly Monday to remove scaffolding hanging ominously from a downtown high-rise building. A window washing system arm came crashing down at about 3:45 p.m. atop the Mark Condos in the 800 block of Market Street, according to San Diego Fire officials. The equipment shattered a window below, leaving the arm dangling above the main downtown thoroughfare. Police closed down the street in front of the condos in case the scaffolding tumbled onto people or cars below. Firefighters removed the system before it could fall. No one was injured or trapped in the incident.

Broken scaffolding dangles from high-rise (San Diego) – Scaffolding used to wash windows on an East Village high-rise swung uncontrollably before crashing into the building Monday afternoon, leaving the scaffolding dangling above the street, authorities said. San Diego Fire Rescue Department crews were investigating what caused the scaffolding to crash into several apartment windows at the Mark Condos on Market Street and 8th Avenue in East Village at 3:45 p.m.

No one was on the scaffolding at the time of accident, and the operators of the platform told authorities gusty winds apparently had caused the accident, SDFRD Capt. Joe Amador said. Glass from the window crashed onto the street below causing authorities to block Market Street between 8th and 9th Avenues until 6 p.m.  Some residents were evacuated from the apartment complex while fire crews attempted to remove the damaged scaffolding, Amador said. Police closed a block of the street in front of the building for about two hours while workers removed the scaffolding and cleaned up the broken glass.