Waukesha, Wisconsin - Residents reported that the conditions on the balcony of the Waukesha apartment that was evacuated suddenly on Thursday were deteriorating.

The city stated that the Waukesha Fire Department ordered the evacuation of Horizon West Condominium at 315 N. West Avenue on Thursday night due to the deteriorating structural condition of the building.

The City of Waukesha posted an update on Facebook on Friday.

Demolition of the balcony on the building exposed the problem of the building's structural frame and structural column.

The city stated that the fire department stated that “there is an imminent threat of collapse due to the impaired condition of the existing structural columns”.

The city said that based on the results of the most recent inspection, the city’s chief building inspector found that the apartment building was not suitable for human occupancy, effective from Thursday.

Waukesha Fire Chief Steve Howard and city leaders agreed that residents must be evacuated immediately.

The city provides a history of interaction with the Horizon West Apartment Association:

“Demolition of the balcony exposed defects in the building’s structural frame and structural columns. The fire department and the city’s third-party independent structural engineer as well as the building’s engineer conducted additional inspections throughout November,” the city said.

On November 30, the preliminary structure report showed that the load-bearing structure of the building had defects. The city then began to discuss next steps.

The city said it received additional data late Thursday afternoon and concluded that the building was unsafe.

As of Friday, 65 residents had been evacuated and the buildings were protected.

The Salvation Army provided 23 rooms as temporary housing.

"This morning, the city reviewed a proposed plan with all parties to provide immediate temporary support and support to stabilize the structure to mitigate any imminent structural collapse," the city said.

The city stated that the apartment owner contractor has installed “structural supports to provide some direct structural integrity” on the building.

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