Fires

Fire at San Francisco General Hospital Construction Site, 350 Evacuated

A small, but very inconvenient fire broke out this morning at the construction site of the new San Francisco General Hospital, forcing some 350 workers to evacuate the area. The fire started at about 9:30 a.m. at a temporary platform inside an elevator shaft at the top of the new hospital building ... More >>

Blaze at Boudin's Bakery on the Wharf

A fire interrupted lunchtime at Boudin's Bakery on the Wharf where tourists were undoubtedly enjoying breadbowls and oysters. Firefighters responded to the blaze at about 1 p.m. which apparently started in the restaurant's flue -- the vent above the oven.

Sukilena Quin Identified as Woman Killed in Suspicious House Fire

Medical authorities identified the 66-year-old woman who died in a fire last week as Sukilena Quin, a San Francisco resident. Fire crews were called to the 4300 block of Kirkham Avenue on Thursday at about 6 p.m. on reports of a fire on the second floor of an apartment complex, said Mindy Talmadge ... More >>

Two Hospitalized After Early-Morning Apartment Fire

Firefighters responded to an early-morning blaze that started from a gas leak at an apartment in the city's Excelsior District, sending two people to the hospital. Fire officials were called to the two-story residential building on the 100 block of Athens Street around 12:50 a.m. When they arrived, ... More >>

City Hall Power Knocked Out By Fire

An electrical fire at City Hall knocked out power to the building last night, leaving much of the seat of government in the dark this morning -- and a portion of the basement under water. At around 9:30 last night -- while around 300 guests attended a private soiree -- the small, electrical fire bro ... More >>

Chevron Small Fire Quelled Minutes Before Larger Flame Sparked

A small flash fire lashed out and was extinguished about 13 minutes before the Chevron Richmond Refinery 4 Crude Unit became enflamed on Aug. 6, the company said. In its official 30-day follow-up notification report released Wednesday, the company said an insulated pipe in the 4 Crude Unit was notic ... More >>

Fire Rips Through Mission District Apartment Complex

A two-alarm fire broke out early this morning  displacing 26 residents from their three-story building at 22nd and Dolores streets.Firefighters arrived at the scene at 1:06 a.m., and had the fire controlled by 1:54 a.m., according to press reports.Though there have been no reports of injuries s ... More >>

Two Killed in Early Morning Fire That Started Inside "Cluttered Home" (Updated)

Update (8:05 a.m.): Firefighters say the blaze started in the front bedroom of the home, where one of the elderly men had staying.  Deputy Chief of Operations Mark Gonzales tells us that more than 40 firefighters battled the blaze, which was very challenging because of how "incredibly cluttered ... More >>

Another Fire at Chevron Refinery Today

This morning, a small secondary fire ignited near the controlled burn at the scene of Monday's Chevron Refinery, according to refinery officials. The secondary fire sparked around 11:15 a.m. near the initial fire location, however, firefighters acted quickly and extinguished it within minutes, and ... More >>

Chevron Fire: Massive Refinery Blaze Might Mean Higher Gas Prices for Us

The good news is the Chevron fire is out and the order for East Bay folks to remain indoors has been lifted. The bad news is, there's a good chance gasoline prices are probably going to make us gag today.Chevron's 240,000-barrel-a-day refinery has reportedly closed down production units after the fi ... More >>

Roosevelt Watts Identified as Elderly Man Who Died in Apartment Fire

Medical authorities have identified the man who was killed in Wednesday morning's apartment fire as 78-year-old Roosevelt Watts of San Francisco. Firefighters were called to the three-story, 12-unit building, located at 65 Cleary Court at about 9:50 a.m. The fire had started on the first floor unit ... More >>

Man Killed in Apartment Fire This Morning

An unidentified man was killed this morning in a two-alarm fire that started on the bottom floor of an apartment building in the Western Addition. Mindy Talmadge, spokeswoman for the San Francisco Fire Department, said the fire started at about 9:50 a.m. at the three-story, 12-unit building, locate ... More >>

Arson Suspect Arrested After Early Morning Blaze Destroys Bayview Home

View more videos at: http://nbcbayarea.com.San Francisco police took a 61-year-old man into custody early this morning after he was spotted stashing a gas can under a car just minutes after a four-alarm fire ripped through the city's Bayview neighborhood. KTVU reports that the suspicious blaze start ... More >>

BART Fire That Ruined Your Commute Was "Man Made," Officials Say

Federal agents have confirmed that the big blaze that screwed your commute on June 14 was definitely the result of some fire-happy arsonist. After combing through the ashes and rubble at the unfinished Red Star senior housing complex at Fifth Street and Mandela Parkway in Oakland, agents with ... More >>

Pier 29 Fire: Officials Identify Two Possible Causes

After digging through rubble and ash from the Pier 29 fire that broke out Wednesday afternoon, the San Francisco Fire Department says it has identified two potential causes that sparked the blaze: an electric malfunction, or a glitch in worker equipment.Fire Department spokeswoman Mindy Talmadge sai ... More >>

Pier 29 Fire Causes More Than $2 Million in Damages

Firefighters still don't know what caused the four-alarm fire that ripped through the roof of Pier 29 yesterday afternoon, stopping traffic along the Embarcadero, and hypnotizing tourists near the Wharf. What they do know is that it caused more than $2 million in damages, Fire Spokeswoman Mindy Tal ... More >>

AFT to Investigate Fire That Messed Up BART Commute Last Week

Investigators from the AFT are combing through the ashes and rubble in West Oakland this morning, trying to determine whether the blaze that screwed your commute last week was the product of fire-happy arsonists. The fire started shortly after 2 a.m. on Thursday at an under-construction senior cente ... More >>

Pier 29 Blaze Contained, Traffic Backed Up Along the Embarcadero

(Update 4:35 p.m) America's Cup officials released a statement saying they do not anticipate this fire hindering plans for the big race. "We look forward to moving ahead with the future construction of the America's Cup Village at Pier 27/29," the statement read. (Update 4:02 p.m.): Supervisor ... More >>

Construction Site of New Condos Catches Fire

A construction site went up in flames early Saturday morning in the city's Hunters Point neighborhood in what appears to be a very suspicious fire.Press reports say the blaze started at 4 a.m. at West Point and Middle Point roads, and firefighters had the fire under control by 5:30 a.m. According to ... More >>

Hundreds of Marijuana Plants Burned in Oakland Attic Fire

Local stoners will be disappointed to hear the news that a Memorial Day fire led police to an illegal pot grow operation inside a three-bedroom home in Oakland. According to news reports, firefighters were called to the unidentified home at about 5:30 p.m. on Monday where they found the attic in fla ... More >>

Fire Erupts at Kokkari Estiatorio in Financial District

A kitchen fire interrupted lunch for more than 150 patrons dining at Kokkari restaurant in the city's Financial District this afternoon.The fire started at the upscale Greek restaurant around 1:30 p.m. However, nobody inside the restaurant even noticed until the fire trucks arrived. Folks passing by ... More >>

Man Sneaks Out for Smoke, Starts Fire at Homeless Shelter

​Nearly 100 homeless people were evacuated from Providence Church Shelter early this morning after a man and his cigarette addiction started a fire. Firefighters were called to the shelter, located at 1601 McKinnon Ave., at about 3:30 a.m. after staffers unsuccessfully attempted to extinguish the ... More >>

Blaze that Killed Vincent Perez and Anthony Valerio, S.F. Firefighters, Was an Accident

It was a sad accident ​Fire officials have determined that the blaze which killed Vicent Perez and Anthony Valerio was an electrical accident. The Fire Department is still conducting test of the house's electrical system to pinpoint the exact cause of the massive fire that scorched a Diamond Heigh ... More >>

Mission Fire Leaves Lotus Garden Shuttered; Blue Plate, Los Panchos Open as Usual

SfistWednesday night's fire at 3212 Mission (at 29th St.) left extensive damage at Lotus Garden.​When the three-alarm fire broke out two doors away last night at 3212 Mission, the Blue Plate restaurant was just filling up it's 70-seat capacity, says Sean Thomas, the chef de cuisine who was on ... More >>

S.F. Police Investigate More Possible Arsons

Flag on fire​Police are investigating two more suspicious fires that started over the weekend in the Balboa Park neighborhood, just a few doors apart. On Saturday at about 5:30 am., firefighters responded to a fire that had started outside a dwelling on the unit block of San Juan Avenue. Fire offi ... More >>

Castro Arson Victims Homeless, Need Money

Donate and drink!​Earlier this week, Supervisor Scott Wiener introduced a bill that would help victims of major disasters find cheap affordable housing and fast. But that won't do anything now for the 10 people who were booted from their homes after a series of suspected arson fires burned their C ... More >>

Fire Burns Two Homes Near Castro

Spreading flames​Another blaze burned two homes in San Francisco early this morning, just a few blocks from the Castro neighborhood where last week there were four different fires in less than 48 hours.At 3 a.m, firefighters were called to a fire at 1370 Clayton St. in the Upper Market neighborhoo ... More >>

Castro on Fire Again; Police Look for Serial Arsonist

More flames in the Castro​Arson investigators are at the scene of another suspicious fire  that was set early this morning in the Castro neighborhood -- the fourth in the last 24 hours. On Friday morning, a fire was set outside a home on Collingwood and 18th Streets, according to media report ... More >>

'Massive' Four-Alarm Blaze 'Destroys' Nob Hill Building

Tenderblog824 Hyde in flames​A four-alarm blaze gutted a 95-year old apartment building on Hyde Street in the Tenderknob/Lower Nob Hill area this morning. Firefighters responded to a fire at 824 Hyde Street at 5:20 a.m., but could not halt the conflagration from "enveloping" the entire building, T ... More >>

Paul Williams Booked For Arson Following Yesterday's Tenderloin Blaze

TenderblogPaul Williams is accused of being a very bad neighbor​Paul Williams, a 64-year-old resident at 550 Leavenworth, has been arrested and charged with igniting a fire that gutted the apartment building. The Sunday morning two-alarm fire damaged nine units of the apartment building and displa ... More >>

Monica Christine McCarrick Killed Children With Samurai Sword, Cops Say

Fairfield PoliceMonica Christine McCarrick ​Just when you think allegations a young mother killed her three-year-old twin daughters and then set the building on fire couldn't get worse -- it did. Christine McGarrick, 28, of Fairfield is now suspected of slaying Lily and Tori Ball with a samurai sw ... More >>

Michael Warner Charged With Torching Eight Outhouses

​Michael Warner, a 27-year-old Caucasian with no fixed address, has been charged with burning eight outhouses and three hand-washing stations. Warner's alleged Saturday arson spree took place in the 400 block of Mission Bay Boulevard at around 7 p.m.; a witness saw him hop a fence and later identi ... More >>

Cars Burn at San Francisco Airport -- Arson a Possibility

www.lcpstc.org​Many a traveler has lost his or her luggage. But to lose your car -- that's different. It's also the reality facing half a dozen travelers at San Francisco International Airport, where a suspicious fire gutted six cars overnight in the long-term parking lot. A Toyota Siena ignited i ... More >>

Snuffed Out

Massive layoffs, internal conflict, and decreasing morale have all contributed to a less effective arson unit.

Is Potty Arsonist Back?

​Last year, 27 portable toilets went up in flames in San Francisco, and nobody knows why. In the absence of any explanation, we made some shit up. But the terrifying reality is that some nefarious toilet igniter is still out there, perhaps targeting his or her next defenseless shitter at ... More >>

Two More S.F. Cars Burned; Third In Two Days

www.lcpstc.org​San Francisco Police spokesman Sergeant Wilfred Williams has told SF Weekly that details are sketchy regarding the pair of vehicles charred at Sixth and Jessie at around 5:15 this morning. It is unclear at this time if this fire is related to any other car-immolating sprees around t ... More >>

Accused Arsonist's Lawyer Peeved at Cops Repeatedly Tying His Client to S.F. Car Fires

​Yesterday we reported that San Francisco Police arson Inspector Jeffrey Levin still considers 62-year-old homeless woman Fafa Chan to be the prime suspect in this summer's string of car fires. "I'm convinced that she did [it]," he told SF Weekly. In the meantime, as we've pointed out before, pinn ... More >>

Cops: S.F., East Bay Car Fires are Not Connected -- and 62-Year-Old Homeless Woman Is *Still* Prime Suspect in City Blazes

www.lcpstc.org​Other than disturbingly large swaths of the population of France, not so many people get a kick out of immolating cars. So when automobiles started going up like foreclosed factories in the East Bay, a natural thought was, "I wonder if this has something to do with all those car fir ... More >>

Police: Weekend's Flaming Car Had Nothing to Do With Other Flaming Cars

www.lcpstc.orgWait! This time there was a logical reason for a car to be found on fire.​San Francisco cops arriving at the scene of a blazing automobile must now ask themselves a modified version of the most famous of Passover queries: "How is this burning vehicle different from all other burning ... More >>

Apparent Piss-Poor Attempt at Car Arson in Seacliff

www.lcpstc.org​Police responded to a report of a burning car on 29th and Lake at 1:25 this morning, only to discover "smoldering newspaper on the hood" of the vehicle. There was no damage to the car and no arrest made -- so it appears that someone has achieved the unremarkable task of burning some ... More >>

Fire Closes Tadich Grill

J. BirdsallBy noon, fire crews had taped off the entrance.​A grease fire broke out in the kitchen at hallowed Financial District restaurant Tadich Grill (240 California at Front) late this morning. By noon, fire crews were on the scene and the blaze was deemed under control, but the restaurant ... More >>

One Day After Media Reports Car Arsons Have Abated Since Arrest of Homeless Woman ... They're Back Again!

​On the heels of both the Chronicle and KRON-TV noting that the July string of 13 car arsons abruptly ceased with the arrest of a homeless woman in her 60s named Fafa Chan -- that's no longer the case. Firefighters doused a flaming Honda not long after 3 a.m. this morning at 21st and Balboa, not f ... More >>

Warrants Indicate Hundreds of Pot Plants Seized From Property Adjoining Bayview Warehouse That Suspiciously Burned Last Month

Persons of interest...Search warrants indicate that police confiscated 860 marijuana plants growing in a structure a stone's throw from a Bayview warehouse that burst into flames last month -- a strong indication that initial theories blaming careless pot-growers for the blaze may well be accurate. ... More >>

Motorcycles, Trucks, and Garbage Cans, Oh My! San Francisco Suffers Spate of Park District Arsons

San Francisco's outhouse arsonist -- a person or persons who noxiously immolated more than two dozen local porta-johns -- managed to garner international attention to our city, as well as corporate-sponsored fecal humor/crime patrols. Yet the city could well have a less cuddly arsonist on its hands ... More >>

As Second Potrero Hill Outhouse Smolders, Police Insist This Is Not Funny

An erudite citizen on the 400 block of Kansas Street called 911 at 10 minutes to midnight on Tuesday reporting "the glow of a fire." It turns out it was the immolation of outhouse No. 24. After preying on porta-johns in the Russian Hill and Nob Hill areas for months, the outhouse arsonist -- or arso ... More >>

Noise Pop "Dodges a Bullet" When Early-Morning Fire Breaks Out at Their Offices

Peter SamuelsNoise Pop staffers inspect the damage following an early-morning fire.Just two weeks before the opening of their 2009 festival, Noise Pop narrowly averted a major catastrophe when a fire broke out at their offices, located at 2180 Bryant Street. According to Noise Pop's Bill Rousseau, t ... More >>

No Toilet Paper, No Peace

The Porta Potti Arsonist speaks.

Two Killed In Russian Hill Star of India Fire

LastNight: Flamethrowers Dance Dance Revolution = DDI

Fire! Fire! Fire! Fire! Fire! Fire! Fire! Fire! Fire! (Yawn.)

Lame city regulation leaves burned-out residents of nine SRO hotels completely SOL