San Francisco church fire goes to 3 alarms
San Francisco Fire Department Capt. Jonathan Baxter gives an update on the Seventh-Day Adventist Church fire in the city’s Lower Pacific Heights neighborhood. No injuries have been reported, but there was some scaffolding on the building with workers present when the fire broke out.
SAN FRANCISCO – Flames tore through a church in San Francisco on Monday afternoon as firefighters battled a three-alarm blaze.
Fire response
What we know:
The fire was reported at about 1:58 p.m. at the Seventh-day Adventist Church near California and Broderick streets, according to the San Francisco Fire Department.
Fire Capt. Jonathan Baxter said at least five people called 911 to report the fire before the first engine arrived. It was unclear whether the callers were associated with the church or were passersby.
Firefighters initially responded to a one-alarm fire before upgrading the incident to a three-alarm response as flames spread to the church’s upper level.
Construction underway
Dig deeper:
Baxter said scaffolding surrounded the outside of the church, where at least two workers were on site before the fire. It was unclear whether the workers were on the scaffolding when the fire started.
A loud boom was heard while a KTVU camera crew was reporting from the scene.
Firefighters said that this structure fire is uniquely challenging compared to others because of the large amounts of open space inside, the old timbers, and the amount of air that can move through and fuel the blaze.
Shelter-in-place lifted
Why you should care:
Fire officials said a firefighter sustained a minor hand injury while fighting the fire.
Officials issued a shelter-in-place order for the surrounding neighborhood as firefighters worked to contain the blaze, but later lifted it.
People in the area should also be aware of potential water pressure fluctuations as thousands of gallons of water are being used by the fire department to tackle the fire.
The Source: This report is based on information from the San Francisco Fire Department.