Four snow-covered roofs collapse in N.H.

A section of roof at a Marshalls in Nashua, New Hampshire, gave way under the weight of snow

NASHUA, New Hampshire (CNN) -- Heavy, wet snow accumulations of 2 to 3 feet collapsed at least four roofs in a little more than 12 hours, the Nashua Fire Department said Saturday.

No injuries were associated with any of the structural failures, but Nashua Fire Department dispatcher John Rafferty said there is substantial damage to the structures and what is described as a significant loss.

The first to go was a 30- by 100-foot section of roof on a Marshalls department store around 7:30 p.m. Friday, Rafferty said Saturday, "It's been busy around here."

A fire department hazardous materials team was on the site of another roof collapse Saturday morning, at the Harcross Chemical Co. Rafferty said a call to 911 at 8:12 a.m. reported the collapse and an explosion.

Firefighters confirmed a substantial part of the building's roof had given way and a minor chemical spill resulted. Rafferty could not say what chemicals were involved, but qualified it as a "minor spill." The hazardous materials team was monitoring and controlling the situation, he said.

The roof of a residential home collapsed late Friday night, but the owners got out unhurt and spent the night at a hotel, Rafferty said.

At 6:04 a.m. Saturday, he said, firefighters were called to Pennichuck Junior High School, where they found a large portion of one wing had fallen in. Nobody was in the school at the time of the collapse.

All four of the buildings that suffered roof failures are about 10 years old or less, according to Rafferty.

"The large amount of snow is not unusual here, but the roof collapses are very unusual," he said. "Someone figured out there's 40 pounds per square inch of pressure on these roofs." At sea level, atmospheric pressure is 14.7 pounds per square inch.

Snow flurries early Saturday had tapered off in the area, with warmer temperatures and partly sunny conditions forecast for the remainder of the weekend.

Nashua is a city of about 100,000 people 35 miles north of Boston.

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