The brick facade on the side of a building in Cranston crumbled to the ground Friday, and officials evacuated tenants as a precaution.
Firefighters said they were concerned about the stability of the building at 185 Bluff Ave. and set up a perimeter.
"We just secured the area, backed everyone away, evacuated everyone for safety purposes," said Deputy Fire Chief Will Morrocco.
A pile of bricks was visible on the ground.
No injuries were reported, and the Red Cross was helping the 10 to 15 displaced tenants.
Viola Crawford has lived in the building for five years. She heard rumbling as the bricks came down.
"They tell you it’s structurally strong, but at that point I thought, just hurry up and get some clothes on and get out," Crawford said.
Tenants said an inspector assessed the building a few days ago and blocked off the area to right of the building -- where the bricks fell -- so cars couldn’t park there.