Partial wall collapse at West Allis day care caused by 'accumulating' water damage

WEST ALLIS, Wis. (CBS 58) -- A West Allis day care center was damaged Monday evening after a wall partially collapsed.

West Allis police officers responded to Little Starr's Child Care located near 81st and Lapham on Monday evening.

At 7:15 p.m. Monday, Patrick Puffer called 911 after his neighbor told him bricks started falling off the building. 

"(I told the dispatcher) the front of the day care fell off. She said 'Really?' I said, 'Yeah.' She goes, 'We'll send a squad right away. Please tell no one to enter the building, and we'll be right there,'" said Puffer, who lives nearby.

He said the day care center often is open in the evenings.

"This is a very, very busy day care, and last night my initial thought was, 'Oh my god the kids,' but there were no kids and thank God they were all safe," he said. "Looks like they're gonna save the building, so the business will stay in the neighborhood hopefully."

West Allis police said they initially responded to the scene but they are not investigating the incident.

The West Allis Fire Department told CBS 58 the damage was caused by decay over time due to "accumulating" water damage. The fire chief said it was not related to the weather on Monday.

Ed Lisinski, director of the Building Inspection and Neighborhood Services Department for the city of West Allis, said the owner had a restoration company on site on Tuesday to evaluate the building.

Lisinski said a small portion of brick fell off the parapet and no clear damage was done to the building or to the interior.

Property records show the building has served many purposes over the decades it's been in the community, including a beer depot and a pizza place.