Latest news with #SFFD


CBS News
17-06-2025
- General
- CBS News
San Francisco early morning residential fire displaces 12
At least a dozen people have been displaced following a one-alarm residential fire in San Francisco early Tuesday morning. Around 3:45 a.m., the fire department announced on social media that they responded to a residence on San Jose Avenue, between Sadowa and Broad streets. In a subsequent update, firefighters said the fire was controlled after several minutes and was contained to the attic. 1-ALARM FIRE 2000 Block of San Jose Ave, STRUCTURE FIRE San Francisco Fire Department is currently on scene of an active one alarm structure fire. Crews on scene are checking for extension in the walls and roof. Please avoid the area of San Jose between Sadowa and Broad. — SAN FRANCISCO FIRE DEPARTMENT MEDIA (@SFFDPIO) June 17, 2025 A total of twelve residents were displaced, according to firefighters. The Red Cross was notified. One person was taken to a hospital for a medical complaint. Additional details about the fire were not immediately available. The cause of the fire is under investigation.


CBS News
08-06-2025
- Sport
- CBS News
Oracle Park briefly evacuated due to vendor booth fire
The San Francisco Fire Department said crews responded to Oracle Park for a fire at a vendor booth on Sunday. SF Fire said it was a cooking fire, and it was confined to the cooking area. The park was briefly evacuated, and at 10:50 a.m., SF Fire said the park would reopen. No one was injured. **FIRE ACTIVITY AT ORACLE PARK** The San Francisco Fire Department responded to a cooking fire in a vendor's booth at Oracle Park. The fire was confined to the cooking area, and no injuries were reported. The park was evacuated but will be reopened shortly. We thank the… — SAN FRANCISCO FIRE DEPARTMENT MEDIA (@SFFDPIO) June 8, 2025 "We thank the fantastic staff and fans for their cooperation during the evacuation at the directions of park staff and fire personnel," SF Fire said. "There was no extension of the fire, and the game will continue as scheduled." The Giants vs. Braves game at Oracle Park is scheduled for 1 p.m.
Yahoo
08-06-2025
- Yahoo
Tourists who dropped phone rescued from scenic San Francisco cliff
(KRON) — Two tourists from Seattle were rescued from a cliffside between Deadman's Point and Mile Rock Beach in San Francisco Saturday afternoon, after dropping a cellphone over the lookout, the San Francisco Fire Department told KRON4. The phone fell while three men were taking scenic photos in the area, SFFD said. Two of the men climbed down the cliff to get the phone, but were unable to get back up. Vallejo arson suspect arrested for attempted murder, kidnapping, rape: VPD An SFFD ropes rescue team responded to the scene at 3:31 p.m. It took firefighters roughly an hour to hoist the men to safety. No one was injured during the ordeal. 'The San Francisco Fire Department encourages people to enjoy San Francisco and the beautiful skyline, but to [also] obey posted signs and stay on the trail,' SFFD said. Firefighters have performed multiple cliff rescues in the area in the last week. It's unclear if the men were able to find their lost phone. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


CBS News
06-06-2025
- General
- CBS News
4-alarm fire in San Francisco's Inner Richmond damages homes overnight, over 30 displaced
A four-alarm fire in San Francisco's Inner Richmond neighborhood early Friday morning has damaged several homes and displaced more than 30 people, firefighters said. Shortly after 1:50 a.m., firefighters were called to the 500 block of 5th Avenue, between Balboa and Anza streets. The fire, which grew to four-alarms, involved five 3-story multi residential dwellings. More than 130 firefighters responded to the fire, which was put under control around 4:30 a.m. BREAKING 4-ALARM FIRE 500 BLOCK OF 5TH AVE AT BALBOA AND ANZA The San Francisco Fire Department is currently responding to an active 4-alarm structure fire, and over 130 San Francisco firefighters are on the scene. This fire involves three, 3-story multi-residential… — SAN FRANCISCO FIRE DEPARTMENT MEDIA (@SFFDPIO) June 6, 2025 Firefighters said at least 35 people were displaced as a result of the fire. The American Red Cross is on scene assisting the affected residents. No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is under investigation.


San Francisco Chronicle
02-06-2025
- General
- San Francisco Chronicle
‘Crisis': S.F. fire chief says city's aging fleet could limit capacity to fight major blazes
San Francisco's aging and limited fleet of fire trucks and engines could restrict firefighters' ability to quell the blazes that could rip through the city after a major earthquake, the city's fire chief said. A four-alarm fire that tore through a Nob Hill apartment building in April and injured three people got fire chief Dean Crispen's attention, he said. More than 100 firefighters responded and extinguished the blaze in about two hours, but the event stoked Crispen's lingering fears about worst-case scenarios. 'I would have been concerned that that fire would have continued to burn for several days if it had been subsequent to an earthquake,' Crispen told the Chronicle. If it had, he said, the blaze could easily have spread through Nob Hill to Chinatown, Fisherman's Wharf and beyond. That's because more than a third of the San Francisco Fire Department's fleet of fire trucks and fire engines is 20 years old or older, including six front-line trucks and engines that are more than 25 years old, Crispen said. That puts SFFD far out of compliance with the voluntary standards set by the National Fire Protection Association, an industry nonprofit. Those guidelines say that 15-year-old equipment should be moved from front-line service to backup reserves, and 25-year-old equipment should be retired altogether, because outdated equipment lacks the safety upgrades of newer models, said Ken Holland, a senior specialist with the nonprofit. For SFFD to put 25-year-old trucks and engines on the front lines is 'a significant risk,' Holland said. SFFD needs to buy at least 10 fire engines and between seven and 10 fire trucks to meet NFPA standards, Crispen said. In an ideal world, SFFD's 'incredibly busy' fleet would be held to an even more stringent standard, because the city's steep hills and sharp corners mean engines and trucks 'take a fair amount of a beating here,' he said. If and when the Big One strikes, SFFD has a process for recalling as many as 1,000 firefighters into the city. Fires are common in the wake of a major earthquake. Though the 7.9 magnitude quake that roiled San Francisco in 1906 buckled buildings, 80% of property damage came from the fires that followed, sparked by downed power lines and natural gas leaks from broken mains, according to a 1972 federal report. But without enough fire trucks and engines, the reinforcements who respond to those fires could be limited in the help they can give, Crispen said. 'The problem is when they arrive, we currently don't have the apparatus for them to staff to assist in an emergency,' he said. Buying new equipment is challenging because costs have 'skyrocketed' to as high as $2.5 million for a truck and $5 million for an engine, and because supply chain delays that began during COVID have caused production timelines to stretch as long as three years, Crispen said. SFFD ordered three Rosenbauer fire trucks more than a year ago and doesn't expect them to be delivered until next summer, Crispen said. In the meantime, SFFD's aging fleet can run the department more than $500,000 a month in maintenance costs to resolve a 'litany of mechanical problems,' Crispen said. Making repairs requires taking vehicles out of service, and it's hard to find parts that fit old truck and engine models. 'We're in a bit of a crisis at this point,' he said. The Board of Supervisors unanimously passed two pieces of legislation in May intended to expedite the purchasing process by removing bureaucratic hurdles. The ordinances are expected to reach Mayor Daniel Lurie's desk in the coming weeks. One ordinance would allow Lurie, Crispen and a handful of executive staff to court private funding for a period of six months, waiving the usual requirement under the city's behested payment ordinance that prohibits city officials from seeking donations from 'interested parties,' or people who might be eligible for city contracts in the near future. The second ordinance would allow the fire department to negotiate directly with fire apparatus manufacturers, going around the required competitive bidding process. Supervisor Connie Chan, who sponsored both ordinances, said that the twin pieces of legislation were designed to 'fast track' purchasing. 'While our firefighters here in San Francisco are consistently doing their best, the equipment is not keeping up with the demands,' the District 1 supervisor told the Chronicle. Three companies — Rev Group, Oshkosh and Rosenbauer — control as much as 80% of the fire apparatus manufacturing market, according to reporting by the New York Times. 'What is there to bid when it's really monopolized by three companies?' Chan said. Chan said that the board of supervisors has discussed allocating money from the city's budget for the purchases, but that finding the money has been 'difficult.' If Lurie signs the legislation, Chan said, she is hopeful that city officials can raise about $20 million in six months, enough for up to a dozen fire trucks. She expects that the expedited purchasing process could cut the time between ordering and receiving a fire truck down to one year. Chan said she did not know who might donate to the cause, but that she was confident the mayor could leverage his connections. Crispen said the legislation gives him 'some hope' that SFFD can buy the equipment it needs. The department is making a plan for soliciting donations, he said, and 'large corporations would be an obvious starting place.'