Early this morning, a family of five owes their lives to the shrill beeping of smoke alarms after a fire broke out in their San Francisco home. According to the San Francisco Fire Department's media update, firefighters were able to contain a 1-alarm fire at a multi-family residence located at 402 Girard Street in the city's Portola District.
A family of five saved by smoke alarms
— SAN FRANCISCO FIRE DEPARTMENT MEDIA (@SFFDPIO) January 9, 2024
San Francisco Fire (SFFD) quickly extinguished a 1-alarm fire this morning at 402 Girard Street.
At 3:17 AM, SFFD was dispatched to a reported home fire at 402 Girard, a two-story multi-family home in the Cites Portola District. #SFFDE42… pic.twitter.com/gXPKb2KXbH
Responding quickly after being dispatched at 3:17 AM, Engine 42 arrived just two minutes later, at 3:19 AM. They found themselves assisting the occupants out of the building before they extended hose lines to tackle the conflagration blazing in a second-floor bedroom. The incident, mercifully resulting in no physical injuries, saw the inferno successfully under control by 3:43 AM, albeit leaving five individuals without a home.
Attributing the minimal damage and the saved lives to the efficacy of working smoke alarms, the San Francisco Fire Department emphasized the importance of early 911 calls and the quick and capable response of the firefighters on the scene. Their strategic actions prevented the potential tragedy, the fire department stated while maneuvering hoses to extinguish the fire threatening to consume more than just a bedroom.
The American Red Cross is now stepping up to assist the five people displaced by the incident. The cause of the fire, deemed non-suspicious, is under investigation as per the fire department's statement.
