Road closures have been implemented in Jacksonville's Springfield neighborhood due to a building collapse on North Main Street at 14th Street East, causing significant traffic disruptions. Jacksonville Fire Rescue Department (JFRD) crews responded to the scene around 5 p.m. yesterday, as confirmed by News4Jax. The affected area encompasses the Urban Core of Jacksonville, where the roadway is closed in both directions.

According to JFRD Chief Keith Powers' statement obtained by News4Jax, the roof structure of the former auction house had "rotted and collapsed," which resulted in the building being precarious. Furthermore, during the evening update, authorities mentioned that, fortunately, there was no need to transport anyone to the hospital due to injuries arising from the incident.

Despite not having active service due to non-payment, Jacksonville Electric Authority (JEA) crews were quickly dispatched to remove service lines to ensure public safety. JFRD, assisted by the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office and the use of their drone team, also made efforts to assess the structural vulnerability of the remaining building. "The largest pile of debris kind of fell out into Main Street, but there's debris all the way across to the other side of Main Street," Powers said on News4Jax, acknowledging the severity of the collapse and highlighting why the road remains closed.

Chief Powers also indicated, while there is no confirmed cause for the collapse, the structure's instability is readily apparent. "Looking at what the drone shows us from above, it looks like a lot of the roof structure had rotted and already collapsed," he conveyed in an update, reported by the same News4Jax article. According to First Coast News, there were no apparent signs of people trapped, as search dogs and drones did not reveal any such indications, although the interior was too hazardous to conduct a thorough inside search. Additionally, city code enforcement is evaluating when the rest of the building should be demolished.

The road closures are expected to persist while engineers evaluate the structural integrity of the building and develop plans for its safe demolition, with a tentative schedule set for this morning. Traffic diversions will continue to be in effect, and drivers in the area are advised to seek alternate routes until the situation is fully resolved and the road is deemed safe for public use again.