1 alarm fire in #SF Chinatown with lots of smoke billowing onto Stockton Street. Avoid area. @CBSSF @sffdpio pic.twitter.com/wgxDb1gi7T
— Ryan Quintana (@Ryan_Quintana) February 3, 2017
San Francisco fire crews are battling a smoky two alarm blaze in Chinatown Friday morning, with one victim reportedly injured and an unknown number of subjects displaced.
The fire, the San Francisco Fire Department says, is burning at the Golden Plaza building, a two-story commercial structure 1199 Stockton Street, which is between Pacific Avenue and Jackson Street. According to the Chron, it's the site of the "Natural Tea Shop, San Francisco Poultry and a Verizon Wireless Infinitel Communications store."
The fire was first reported at around 8 a.m. Friday, the SFFD says. A male victim was pulled from the blaze, and was transported to the hospital with minor injuries.
#Breaking #SF Fire now 2-alarms, one victim rescued, serious condition. @CBSSF has crews on scene. pic.twitter.com/jemIiRbj6t
— KPIX 5 (@CBSSF) February 3, 2017
The SFFD is urging area residents to "close your doors and windows to avoid smoke." According to KRON 4, "the smoke is so strong that people are able to smell it several blocks away from the site of the fire."
As of 9:15, the SFFD says that though the fire remained active, "we have a good handle on this." By 9:50 they were focused on "hot spots" as well as a "basement fire and water issues."
KRON 4 reports that the fire likely began in the basement, which is filled with "plywood and equipment" from the reported seven businesses in the structure.
Sgt. Francis Feliciano of the San Francisco Police Department told the Chron that firefighters "went in they couldn’t find the source. They went up to look for it and they still couldn’t find it...Then it turns out it was in the basement.”
"We're attacking from both sides," a fire spokesperson says, "but when we knock it down in one place it pops up in another."
Pedestrians and drivers are urged to avoid the area, with Stockton closed in the blocks surrounding the site of the fire.
Translators are also on hand to help those displaced by the blaze, in addition to "HSA RedCross and other City services," the SFFD says. As of Friday morning, the cause of the fire remains unknown.
#020717WF1 UPDATE 1/2 crews working to ext hot spots and deal with basement fire and water issues. City TRANSLATORS are on site to assist - pic.twitter.com/nz89K74aJz
— San Francisco Fire (@sffdpio) February 3, 2017
#020717WF1 UPDATE 2/2 with those affected HSA RedCross and other City services on scene or standing by to assist pic.twitter.com/fcGfMur4MA
— San Francisco Fire (@sffdpio) February 3, 2017