A tragic turn of events unfolded at the Kendall County Fair Grounds, where a 79-year-old woman succumbed to injuries sustained during a bleacher collapse at a rodeo event. Cited by KSAT, the woman was one of eight people hospitalized after the structure gave way on August 31. The incident also resulted in a total of 12 reported injuries.
According to KENS 5, a report from the city highlighted a critical oversight: the section was not inspected as required before the collapse, leading to questions of accountability and public safety. Records indicate that no building permits had been applied for at the fairgrounds since January 2023, and welding work was noted to have been in progress up until the day prior to the catastrophic event.
City officials stated that at the time of the collapse, more than 100 fair attendees were seated in the compromised structure. A temporary fence has been installed around the site, pending an in-depth inspection set to occur soon. "The only permit applied for in relation to the event was a carnivals and fairs permit," said a press release from the City of Boerne, as per KENS 5, which regretfully did not include a review of the newly constructed bleachers.
After the incident, inspections by authorities found no violations during their checks on other areas, such as carnival rides and food trucks. However, "this tragic event has affected our entire community," Boerne Fire Chief Manny Casarez said, according to KENS 5. The city has promised to utilize the lessons from this incident to sharpen their emergency management procedures, ensuring the future safety of all public gatherings.
Now faced with the aftermath, the Kendall County Fair Association is required to confirm that the arena is up to code before it reopens for future events. In addition, the association must procure a demolition permit for the failed structure, inclusive of a fee for the initial failure to secure the necessary building permits that would have mandated a prior inspection.
