Yesterday around 4pm, an arsonist set a Christmas wreath on fire on the front door of a home at Haight Page and Shrader.

Tipster Matt D., who was out when the fire occurred, said his house was saved by a passerby, who saw the fire and helped to extinguish it. A neighbor left a note on his door to inform him: "I heard some people yelling about a fire. I went down to see the wreath in flames on the sidewalk. A passerby said he kicked it off your door onto the sidewalk," it read. The note added that neighbors extinguished the fire with a bucket of water, and called SFFD, which referred them to the police department.

The wreath, pictured above post-torching, was an ordinary evergreen from the hardware store, Matt said.

Matt told us that thanks to neighbors' intervention, damage was limited to the front door's paint. The building entry is a covered vestibule, so the fire could easily have gotten out of hand. "Thank God it was 4pm and not 4am," he said. 

Arson has been a concern in the Haight of late. In November, an arsonist torched the awning of clothing boutique Ambiance (which is on Haight between Ashbury and Masonic), and a garbage fire occurred on the steps of a home on Cole Street between Haight and Page just a few days later.

If you witnessed the fire and/or have any information on a potential suspect, contact SFFD directly or send us a tip. 

See something interesting while you’re out and about? Text Hoodline and we’ll see what we can find: (415) 200-3233.