I think he overdid it taking that brick out...

[John Rumm]

(still I guess that was the intention - just perhaps not quite a quick!)

[Andy Burns]

Not bad for "passer-by" quality video

[Nightjar]

A still picture in the article shows it with a shop type front at the bottom and the beam over that obviously broken. The front wall was almost certainly doomed once that had happened.

Colin Bignell

[Chris J Dixon]

That cherry picker looked a bit too close for comfort - a little more sideways spread by the falling brickwork and it could have been a different story.

Chris

[fred]

Perhaps that is what he wanted to happen. I couldn't see any way it could have been made safe.

[Nightjar]

He was probably trying to get it down bit by bit. If he wanted to bring the whole lot down in one big collapse, hitting it with a digger shovel would have worked and put him further from the action.

Colin Bignell

[Dave Liquorice]

Many smart phones do "HD" video these days. That's not difficult as HD is less than 2 M pixels, the sensors in phones are 5 M pixel or more. All you need is the processing grunt, which phones have in abundance. What lets phones down are poor lenses(*) and/or low light conditions.

(*) I'm surprised they work as well as they do when you only have a maximum of 5 mm or less to play with. I think they must be closer to "pin hole" methods than conventional lenes.

[Alan J. Wylie]

Quite similar:

Best watched with the sound turned down though. "Interesting" bit is 2 mins in.

[Mike Tomlinson]

In article , Alan J. Wylie writes

Quite unnerving seeing the speed at which the fire progresses (watch the windows blowing out from left to right).

[Brian Gaff]

Why do I think of the Pink Panther on this one? Brian

[Tim Watts]

Not that close if you watch one trying to get focus - my Galaxy Note 3 is very pronounces when it "hunts".

But yes, I am also surprised they managed to get the quality they do. Nothing beats a real camera with good lenses but phones are damn useful for basic "event records".

[Nightjar]

I wonder if the bloke in a high vis jacket and hard hat had been using a blowlamp.

Colin Bignell

[GB]

Very brave firemen. They must have had a pretty good idea that the building could collapse.

[Bert Coules]

It's rather lovely that the very bit he was prodding was the last piece to fall down.

[Huge]

He was being interviewed on the Beeb a couple of days ago. He was very laid back about the whole thing.

[tony sayer]

Jeezz!! was that place designed to burn;?...

God save us from "Oh my Gawd" forsaken American wimmen 'tho;!...

[Andy Burns]

Surprised they're driving the ladder-truck around with the ladder extended, I quite often get to see UK ALPs (aerial ladder platforms) in use and they wouldn't dream of operating them without the outriggers extended

[John Williamson]

It's the first time I've heard a non-teenager actually say oh! em! gee!

[Tim Streater]

Yes, all such people can eff off.

[Tim Streater]

Perhaps they were up just enough so he could move the truck. It was just *bit* urgent, wasn't it?