 |
SAN FRANCISCO ? San Francisco firefighters have controlled a five-alarm apartment building blaze that left up to 60 residents homeless. Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White says the fire that engulfed three buildings raged for ...
Submit this storydigg reddit stumble SAN FRANCISCO ? As many as 60 people were left homeless Thursday by a San Francisco apartment building fire that took firefighters nearly three hours to control, Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White said.
The five-alarm blaze engulfed three buildings before 150 firefighters, or about half the department's daytime firefighting force, were able to bring the fire under control around 3 p.m., Hayes-White said.
The blaze sent one firefighter to the hospital with a burn to the neck, and a civilian was treated for mild smoke inhalation, Hayes-White said. A second firefighter, originally reported as hospitalized, was given oxygen at the scene.
"It was a challenging fire to fight, but given the time of day, it was actually helpful because most people were out of their dwellings," the chief said. "Other than two minor injuries we were very fortunate given the magnitude of the fire."
Hayes-White said the fire started in one of the neighborhood's trademark three-story Victorian homes and spread to a nearby apartment building and a single-family home. A total of 32 dwellings were destroyed.
As the fire burned during the afternoon, a pillar of thick smoke rose over the residential neighborhood dotted with century-old Victorian homes. Authorities closed several blocks of streets, causing massive traffic jams in the area.
The cause of the blaze was not yet known, but arson crews would be in the building during the night trying to determine what sparked the fire.
The fire spread easily due to brisk winds and because the building where the fire started was made of wood and directly attached to other buildings, Hayes-White said.
READ WHOLE POST San Francisco Holiday Cocktails For Every Personality (PHOTOS) Protect Coit Tower Committe Fights What They See As Historic Monument's Privitization 'Grubstake': Aesop Rock And Hail Mary Mallon Release Rap Song About San Francisco Diner (VIDEO) Food And Wine '50 Best Bars In America': San Francisco Cleans House (PHOTOS) San Francisco Holidays: The Best Spots To Get Seasonal (PHOTOS, VIDEOS) Trent Arsenault, Sperm Donor, Gets Cease Order From The FDA (PHOTOS, VIDEO)
sfgirl RT @RedCrossBayArea: Evacuation shelter set up at 1455 Golden Gate Ave. Missionary Temple for people displaced by fire near Alamo Square.
ePatientDave What??? RT @denverpost: 5-alarm fire pushed by strong winds is engulfing buildings near San Francisco's Alamo Square: http://t.
jayzombie It shouldn't take these giant fires so close to Alamo Square to remind me that I've forgotten to get Renter's Insurance for 3 whole years.
Trent Arsenault, Sperm Donor, Caught In Online...John Henderson, 7-Year-Old Davis Boy, Dies From...Animal Adoptions In San Francisco Just In...Yahoo Sign Over Bay Bridge Finally Taken...
HuffPost High School welcomes a lively, thoughtful debate in the comment section. Keep in mind that the articles here are penned by young authors, so please keep criticism respectful, and help us to keep this a safe and supportive place for writers of all ages to contribute.
To reply to a Comment: Click "Reply" at the bottom of the comment; after being approved your comment will appear directly underneath the comment you replied to.
Copyright © 2011 TheHuffingtonPost.com, Inc. | "The Huffington Post" is a registered trademark of TheHuffingtonPost.com, Inc. All rights reserved.