SAN FRANCISCO—Multiple buildings were damaged during a 5-alarm fire, On Tuesday, July 28, near the southbound US Highway. The fire was first reported at 6:30 a.m. in a block of commercial buildings in the Mission District.
At 7:02 a.m. the San Francisco Fire Department tweeted that a second alarm had been rung for a fire at Folsom and 13th Street, and at 7:25 a.m. the response to Folsom and 13th escalated to a fifth alarm. By 10:30 a.m. the fire, which centered on Erie Street near 14th and Shotwell, was 90 percent contained.
Deputy Fire Chief Victor Wyrsch indicated six commercial structures on two city blocks were affected in the fire.
One of those buildings was the San Francisco Sheriff’s Department training office, where ammo was swiftly removed by firefighters from the basement.
The Bartfeld Sales Co. Building, located at 410 14th Street, collapsed during the fire. This family-owned business was started in 1947 and its building was filled with highly flammable materials such as lumber, wooden palettes, and cardboard boxes. In speaking with Fox KTVU, Brian Bartfeld noted, “the whole building is gone,” and was thankful no one was seriously injured.
San Francisco Fire Department Fire Chief Jeanine Nicholson noted 160 firefighters were deployed and an estimated 60 pieces of equipment were utilized.
Firefighters used a specialized high-pressure water pumping system, and the San Francisco Police Department evacuated homes nearby on 14th Street.
PG&E was forced to shut down power in nearby neighborhoods because power lines fell during the fire. A fire chief who sustained minor head injuries was treated at San Francisco General Hospital reported Wyrsch.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
