SAN FRANCISCO—A story of heroism emerged after last week’s four-alarm blaze that killed one person and wounded six in the city’s Mission District last week.
The fire, beginning around 6:30 p.m. on January 28, destroyed a three-story structure at 22nd and Mission Streets, creating an enormous billow of smoke that could be smelled and seen for miles around.
As the deadly blaze destroyed the residence, 13-year-old Alessandro Gonzales smashed a window and made his way to the fire escape with his dog, a small shih tzu-miniature poodle mixed-breed.
Stuck in the fire escape on the second floor, Gonzales was able to drop his dog safely into the arms of awaiting police officers before successfully escaping the blaze and leaping down himself.
The 13-year-old was only alerted to the fire by the ambient screams of other building residents. Many others had difficulty escaping the building, a result of failed alarms and blocked fire escapes.
Authorities are examining the quality of the structure’s safety equipment as well as working to determine the source of the massive blaze. At the moment, arson is not considered a cause of the fire.
