Wednesday night's three-alarm fire that ravaged Park Hotel on Folsom Street left over 75 San Franciscans homeless. The Red Cross set up shelters to cover the displaced for the night, and will continue tonight. While investigators have yet to determine how it started -- SF Weekly debunked rumors that the fire was sparked by an indoor barbecue -- the Chronicle reports that the blaze "gutted the apartment house and spread to three other buildings, causing significant damage to a six-unit apartment behind it and minor to moderate damage to adjacent structures."
Residents had little to no time to collect their belongings before evacuating. "I heard the fire engines, and my girlfriend opened the door and smelled smoke," Tanith Nichols, 33, told the Chron. "I do computer repair work and had 10 computers in there, all my clothes, tools, some money. This is a disaster."
SF Weekly reports that "six people, including four firefighters, were injured in the blaze at the Park Hotel."
No word yet if a much-needed benefit for the displaced residents is in the planning stages. (Bloodhound could make a great spot for a fundraiser!) If you recall, benefits for residents of Castro and Mission fires in February and April, respectively, proved advantageous for the comparatively fewer victims in those cases.