Almost nine months since the terrible night when fire gutted the Heritage Building in downtown Auburn, the wrecking ball is in swing to bring it down.

To be precise, late last week Harbro Emergency Services and Restoration brought in the heavy equipment and began work Monday on the south-facing-side of the nearly 100-year-old building.

“What they told us when they started is that they expect demolition to take four or five weeks,” City of Auburn Building Official Jason Krum said of Harbro.

The countdown began last month after Puget Sound Energy (PSE) provided Harbro power to remove asbestos from the building. Having wrapped up that task, workers next had to isolate sewer connections and cap utilities.

Owner Melina Lin has listed the property for sale.

On Dec. 26, 2017, fire broke out in the building’s laundry room.

By the time the Valley Regional Fire Authority and other fire agencies called in to help extinguished the fire, the second floor of the historic building was destroyed, and its occupants and all of the ground-floor businesses were homeless.

Most of the occupants and some of the businesses have since found new digs elsewhere.