SF Firefighters Put Out Hot Spots After Deadly 4-Alarm Fire in Mission District

Firefighters on Thursday worked throughout the morning to stamp out hot spots stemming from a deadly fire in the Mission District that killed one man and injured six, including a firefighter.

The blaze left the integrity of the building in question, making it impossible for crews to immediately get in, Fire Battalion Chief Jack Cremen added. "The attic space is really hard to get to," he said, noting that the roof had partially collapsed. "There are areas that are really unsafe."

The fire started for unknown reasons in the middle of the top floor of the U-shaped apartment building at 22nd and Mission Streets, which houses people on top and many businesses below, he said. Later in the morning, residents and Fire Chief Joanne Hayes White said that no one reported hearing any fire alarms sounding off the buildings.

About 100 San Francisco firefighters were able, however, to contain the four-alarm blaze by 11:30 p.m. Wednesday and rescue 12 people from the majestic-looking white building after flames starting licking the sky at 6:45 p.m.

The injured firefighter suffered exhaustion, while the other five people hurt suffered smoke inhalation.

One man's body was pulled from the blaze, which created a dramatic scene as residents jumped from windows down ladders and pieces of flaming building fell to the ground. It does not appear that foul play or arson was a factor, San Francisco police said.

One boy who made it out safely was 13-year-old Alessandro Gonzalez, who jumped from the second floor of the building with his dog to escape. He originally thought the commotion from the fire was due to a robber, but he quickly learned it was a fire when he called 911.

People are crediting him with being very brave, but Alessandro said he just wishes he could have saved his bunny inside, too.

At least 50 people, including 12 children, were displaced, according to Woody Baker-Cohn, with the American Red Cross, who helped set up an evacuation center at City College.

"We’re trying to assess who needs a place to stay the night and take care of the short term needs right now," he said. "We will refer them to our case workers in the office with a longer term plan, working with the city and other non-profits, because obviously they aren’t going to be able to go into that building for a really long time, if at all."

NBC Bay Area's Cheryl Hurd and staff contributed to this report.
 

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