SAN FRANCISCO—At 4:17 a.m. on Saturday, May 23, a four-alarm warehouse fire was reported at Pier 45 in the Fisherman’s Wharf neighborhood between Taylor Street and Jones Street. Two World War II era ships, the SS Jeremiah O’Brien and USS Pampanito, are docked at the historic Pier 45. Visitors are allowed to enter both vessels. The alarm level of the fire indicates the intensity of the fire and how many firefighters are called to the scene. A four-alarm fire is very intense and requires a large number of personnel. 

According to the San Francisco Fire Department (SFFD), firefighters arrived at the scene at 4:19 a.m. and discovered an active warehouse fire. At 4:38 a.m., firefighters reported that the building had started to collapse. 

As fireboats arrived on the scene, officers blocked traffic at Taylor Street and Jefferson Street and started evacuating the pier at 4:41 a.m. 

The burning building partially collapsed and at 4:53 spread to two additional buildings, endangering a third. Traffic was then blocked at The Embarcadero and Powell Street.

At 5:04 a.m. officers reported that they had fully evacuated the pier and minutes later firefighters managed to contain the fire to one section of the pier. One fourth of the buildings on the pier were reported lost by officers.

Both Coast Guard units and Police Marine units were called to the scene to keep non-SFFD boats from approaching the pier. 

At 6:36 a.m., SFFD PIO Lt. Jonathan Baxter reported that the fire was still active and that it remained at the four-alarm level. Firefighters have the fire contained to one part of the pier and it no longer threatens to spread to other buildings. So far, no injuries have been reported. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined. 

San Francisco Fire Department tweeted an image of the fire at Pier 45. Courtesy of San Francisco Fire Department.

The SFFD tweeted a link to updates on the fire.