Flames ripped through the Seneca Hotel today on the 40 block of Sixth Street in San Francisco’s South of Market neighborhood, triggering a large response from city firefighters and pushing residents out onto the sidewalk while crews worked to get the blaze under control. As of the San Francisco Fire Department’s first public update, officials had not released a full accounting of injuries or what started the fire.
Official Updates And Early Timeline
According to the San Francisco Fire Department media, the blaze was first reported on the 40 block of Sixth Street, and the post explicitly noted that the Seneca Hotel is on fire. Firefighters were on scene working to knock down the flames, and that initial update did not list any injuries or a possible cause. The department also noted that the incident was flagged through the Citizen Safety app.
(40 block 6th St) Fire in Seneca Hotel - reported on @CitizenAppSFO https://t.co/XizTDFaXeP
— SAN FRANCISCO FIRE DEPARTMENT MEDIA (@SFFDPIO) March 5, 2026
Who Lives At The Seneca And Why It Matters
The Seneca, at 34 Sixth Street, is a long-standing single-room-occupancy building that provides permanent supportive housing, according to the Tenderloin Housing Clinic. San Francisco city records place the property among the city’s master-leased SRO hotels, with roughly 195 to 200 rooms, highlighting its role in San Francisco’s supportive housing network. Any extended displacement from a fire at a building of that size is especially disruptive for dozens of vulnerable residents and for the agencies responsible for their care.
Past Incidents And Broader Safety Questions
Fires and other emergencies at SRO hotels are part of a broader pattern of staffing and maintenance problems documented in an investigation by the San Francisco Chronicle, which found frequent emergency calls and hazardous conditions at some properties. The Seneca itself has seen trouble before; a 2023 fire at the hotel left a man in serious condition, according to KTVU. Those histories help explain why city officials and nonprofit operators tend to treat fires at large SROs as high-priority incidents.
The Fire Department and other city agencies typically release more details as investigations progress, so residents and neighbors seeking the latest information should watch official channels. For guidance on non-emergency city services related to evacuations or shelter, consult the San Francisco Fire Department and SF311.
