An Potrero Hill public housing building went up in flames this afternoon, killing one person, fire department officials have confirmed.
Just before noon, the fire department received reports of a first alarm fire and three people in need of rescue on the third floor of 703-715 Missouri St., said Fire Captain Jonathan Baxter in a video statement released after 1 p.m.
Baxter said only one unit in the building, which purportedly has 13 units, was legally inhabited.
“Most likely the people that were involved were in there squatting,” said Battalion Chief Kevin McKeon, who was on the scene this afternoon. Five occupants and several dogs are now displaced.
Three individuals were rescued by bystanders, according to the Fire Department’s Twitter account. The Fire Department rescued two more from the top floor via ladders.
Baxter said they were not injured, but rescue crews located one adult in the building, who soon died on the scene.
“I knew this was going to happen,” said Lonnie Green, who arrived this afternoon to pick up the only legal resident of the building and her son. Green, who grew up in these projects, said that the police are often in the area, and “sit on the corner and watch” as occupants squatting in the building would build open fires to stay warm.
Missouri St
South of
Market
Arkansas St
Sierra St
Potrero
Hill
One adult was rescued
from 3 Turner Terrace
by the fire department,
but later succumbed
to their injuries and died.
22nd St
Mission
Turner Tr
Potrero Hill
Recreation
Center
Bayview
North Beach
Missouri St
Sierra St
One adult was
rescued from 3
Turner Terrace
by the fire dept.,
but later succumbed
to their injuries
and died.
22nd St
Turner Tr
Potrero Hill
Recreation
Center
Potrero
Hill
Mission
Map by Will Jarrett. Basemap from Mapbox.
Green said that the four additional units in the 13-unit building had been occupied for more than a year.
“This could’ve been prevented, had housing authority or SFPD removed those people while they were out there welding” or doing other possibly dangerous activities, Green added.
Multiple videos and photos of the building showed fire and clouds of smoke billowing out of the top floor of the three-story apartment building, which sits on the edge of the Potrero Hill Recreation Center and playground green area. The fire was contained to only that building.
The cause and origin of the fire has not yet been determined.
Originally tweeted by SAN FRANCISCO FIRE DEPARTMENT MEDIA (@SFFDPIO) on January 25, 2023.
“San Francisco Fire was confronted with multiple challenges combating this fire. This area is very steep with hills, very narrow streets, and lots of overhead wires,” Baxter noted in his video. He told Mission Local that, in addition to the people rescued here, fire personnel tracked down a lost cat and resuscitated it with oxygen.
The city has seen multiple large fires this month, with a building fire at 20th and Alabama streets displacing 22 tenants, and another at Divisadero and Hayes early Sunday morning displacing 25 more.
I just got a facebook message from an ex-girlfriend of my oldest son. She has been living in one of those abandoned units for over a year as well. She has a full time job and has been looking for housing. Power and water are still on in the buildings. There has been no contact with anyone in over a year, until yesterday when everyone found 5 day notices put on their doors. She’s scared and doesn’t know where to turn. Because of the fire and death they all have to leave. I don’t think that is legal, according to everything I’ve read about SF eviction protection. There are hundreds of people in those buildings and the city isn’t even attempting to reach out to them?! Outrageous! This just isn’t right.
I’m shocked and disgusted to find out this is public housing. This building already had one fire in it a couple of years ago and was never repaired. The building looks abandoned (falling apart, trash everywhere, graffitied, etc.). It is unconscionable that SF Housing Authority would house anyone in these conditions.