On Tuesday, August 12, 2025, at 9:25 pm, Snoqualmie firefighters responded to a deck collapse at an apartment building on SE Newton Street in historic Snoqualmie.
One man and two dogs fell into a ground-floor shed after their second-story deck collapsed. After approximately 40 minutes, firefighters successfully extricated the trapped individual and dogs. The man was transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
The incident is an important reminder of deck and balcony safety, and steps homeowners and landlords can take to protect property and prevent injuries.
Tips to prevent porch, deck, and balcony collapse:
- Know maximum capacity for balconies and decks. Overcrowding and exceeding capacity should be avoided. Commercial properties are required to post occupant loads for outside decks.
- Decks older than 15 years should be professionally evaluated, repaired and reinforced. Many older porches, decks and balconies were built before building codes required them to support higher load pounds per square foot, or to have ledger boards with direct structural connections.
- Inspect decks annually for missing or rusted nails or fasteners; ledger boards that are not lag bolted or through bolted; severe cracks and rotted wood (particularly at connections to the buildings); and for proper footings. Repair or replace as needed. Keep an eye out for horizontal movement which may require cross-bracing to prevent sway.
- Assess the weight of furniture, barbecues, and other heavy items on the decks or balconies and consider removal.
“Thankfully, the resident involved in this incident was not more seriously injured,” said Snoqualmie Fire Chief Mike Bailey. “We advise all residents to conduct regular inspections of their decks to identify and address potential structural issues, which could lead to collapse and injuries.”