Tenderloin Fired Probed

Fire officials are working today to determine the cause of a  three-alarm fire Thursday evening at a transitional housing complex in San  Francisco's Tenderloin neighborhood, a fire lieutenant said today.
     The fire was reported at about 5:40 p.m. at the Taylor Street  Center, located at 111 Taylor St.
     At least 129 adults and two children were displaced due to the  blaze, according to Patricia Peper, spokeswoman for the San Francisco area  chapter of the American Red Cross.
     The Red Cross set up a shelter for the displaced residents at the  Gene Friend Recreation Center at Sixth and Folsom streets.
     A firefighter and another person were hospitalized with minor  injuries due to the blaze, fire Lt. Mindy Talmadge said. The firefighter  suffered a hand injury, while the other victim was hospitalized for smoke  inhalation, Talmadge said.
     The cause of the fire had not been determined as of this morning,  she said.
     Charles Siegel, spokesman for Cornell Companies, which operates  the Taylor Street Center, said the fire started on the roof, where  contractors were doing work that evening.
     The center, which provides temporary housing, monitoring and  transitional services for more than 200 offenders and pre-trial detainees,  was evacuated due to the fire.
     Siegel said most of the displaced people from the center stayed at  the shelter set up by the Red Cross, while some were able to stay with family  members or friends who had previously been approved by the center.
     Center officials today planned to talk with San Francisco fire  officials to determine if it is safe for the residents to return to the  facility today, or if they will have to stay longer at the shelter, Siegel  said.
 

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