Overhead water pipe burst closes Butler County thrift store

An overhead water pipe burst Thursday afternoon that forced the closing of the Buckeye Thrift Store at the Middletown Shopping Center, 600 block of South Breiel Boulevard. RICK MCCRABB/STAFF

An overhead water pipe burst Thursday afternoon that forced the closing of the Buckeye Thrift Store at the Middletown Shopping Center, 600 block of South Breiel Boulevard. RICK MCCRABB/STAFF

When employees came to work at the Buckeye Thrift Store on Thursday, they said they heard a “dripping” noise.

About 30 minutes later, one of the overhead ceiling pipes at the Middletown Shopping Center store burst, causing the roof to fall in and leaving a large amount of water on the floor.

Middletown firefighters responding to the scene said they found a crack in the line and requested the city Water Department to respond and shut the water off. Firefighters said they were not sure if the break was weather related or simply caused by old pipes.

Firefighters said they will drain the water from the store after the line is shut off.

The pipe break has not affected operations at other stores and businesses at the shopping center.

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