A small, late-night fire in a portable toilet outside the Grove Street home of Terry Williams, the well-known Alamo Square dog walker whose house burned last year after he reported racist threats, briefly charred the exterior this morning and rattled neighbors. Fire crews knocked the flames down before they reached the interior, and investigators returned to the scene.
Crews Knock Down Blaze; Investigators Probe Cause
San Francisco Fire Chief Dean Crispen said crews were called at about 1:07 AM and found a portable toilet burning outside the renovation site, adding the fire “didn’t enter the building” or affect the interior wood framing, in a phone interview with the San Francisco Chronicle. Crispen noted a porta potti can generate intense heat once ignited, threatening nearby construction. Arson investigators remained on scene to determine whether the blaze was accidental or deliberate.
A Neighborhood Still On Edge After Last Year’s Fire
The incident echoes a May 2024 blaze that gutted Williams’s home weeks after he said he received two racist packages, one containing a doll with a noose, facts that prompted a hate-crimes probe, according to KQED. Neighbors, clients, and local officials rallied afterward, organizing fundraisers and leaving messages on the boarded-up covering the damaged façade. Williams’s parents were rescued by firefighters in last year’s fire and treated at local hospitals.
Suspect In Threats Case Was Later Reported Missing
In September 2024, the SFPD identified 67-year-old April Martin Chartrand as a suspect in the racist-threats case and said investigators had obtained a Ramey warrant for her arrest; police later said she was reported missing, CBS Bay Area reported. Authorities have not publicly tied Chartrand to last year’s fire, and searches for who left the threatening packages remain active. The department is asking anyone with information to come forward.
Fundraising And Fallout
Two GoFundMe campaigns launched by friends and supporters have raised more than $250,000 to help Williams and his parents recover, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Months later, Williams alleged that relatives took control of or mishandled some of the donated money, an accusation detailed by The San Francisco Standard. Neighbors say the dispute has added to the family’s strain even as volunteers continue to offer support.
Tip Line Open As Cause Remains Under Investigation
Officials said the cause of the portable-toilet fire is under investigation and urged anyone with information to contact the SFPD tip line at 415-575-4444 or text TIP411 and begin the message with “SFPD,” as noted by the San Francisco Chronicle.
