Ceiling collapses during showing of a movie ata Wenatchee theater

The action became a little too real for two moviegoers in Wenatchee when the ceiling suddenly collapsed Tuesday night during a showing of “Captain America: Brave New World.”

Wenatchee Valley Fire Department Chief Brian Brett said firefighters were called to a roof collapse at the Liberty Cinema in downtown Wenatchee around 8 p.m. Tuesday. Crews found that a portion of the interior roof in the building’s main and oldest theater had fallen onto the first three rows of the audience area.

Two people were sitting in the fourth row watching the movie when they heard noises, Brett said. They thought the sounds were part of the movie — until they looked up.

One person was able to step out of the way, but the other person was partially struck by debris, though both were uninjured, Brett said.

“If it had been a Friday or Saturday night, it would have been a lot of people struck and covered with debris,” Brett said.

A structural inspection will be done, and the collapse is under investigation.

Video posted by firefighters on Facebook shows exposed wires in the ceiling and debris covering the front portion of the auditorium at the historic theater that opened in 1919.

Amanda Zhou: 206-464-2508 or azhou@seattletimes.com. Amanda Zhou covers climate change and the environment for The Seattle Times.