Firefighters and police officers responded to an electrical fire at Ken Jewelry, located at 3525 20th St., at 6:54 p.m. Wednesday evening, according to Michael Shugars, a San Francisco Police Department sergeant on site. No one was injured, and the fire on the ground floor of the three-story building appeared to be under control by 7:30 p.m.
About five fire trucks with more than a dozen firefighters and multiple police cars responded, and the site was blocked off from Mission to Lexington streets. Windows were smashed and smoke was still coming from Ken Jewelry at 7:20 p.m. By then, firefighters at the scene were hauling out objects, such as a door and jewelry damaged in the fire.
Residents living in the two stories above the jewelry store had been evacuated and waited outside the building.
Gustavo, who has lived on the second floor for more than 35 years, said a firefighter told him the fire started in the downstairs shop. The upper stories were not affected, he said.
Two other residents corroborated his account, one saying she smelled fire from upstairs and left the building around the time the alarm went off.
“I smelled something burning, and I looked out the window,” said the woman, who declined to provide her name.
At 7:40 p.m., an officer told residents they were just waiting another five or 10 minutes for smoke to clear before they could return to the building. Five to 10 minutes later, residents were returning to their homes.
At 7:50 p.m., firefighters and officers were preparing to leave the scene, and a firefighter told Mission Local that all was under control. It’s unclear how the fire started.
This story may be updated once more details are available.
So sad! I was a victim of a fire! Fire is unforgiving!
Oh my gosh! I love Ken’s Jewelry!! I got my wedding ring there. I hope damage was minimal.