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Possible Explosion Burns San Francisco Home, Kills One, Injures Two

Written by Garrett LeahyPublished Feb. 09, 2023 • 11:05am
San Francisco firefighters stand on top of a home as they respond to a three-alarm fire on 22nd Avenue in the Sunset District. | Michaela Vatcheva for The Standard

UPDATE: SFFD found a deceased adult in the rubble of the burnt building.

A San Francisco home collapsed after going up in flames because of a possible explosion early Thursday, fire officials said.

The blaze—which was contained by 11:25 a.m.—spread to two other homes on 22nd Avenue between Noriega and Moraga streets in the the city's Sunset District.

Photos from the San Francisco Fire Department captured the dramatic scene as the building burned and buckled and a cloud of smoke billowed overhead.

Officials cleared the entire block as firefighters tried dousing the flames.

One person was seriously burned and a firefighter sustained minor injuries, a third person was found dead in the building after the fire was out, according to the fire department.

The fire came after several neighbors reported hearing an explosion at 9:21 a.m. SFFD arrived within four minutes, officials said.

The fire department said that there were "signs indicative of an explosion" including blown-out windows from several nearby homes.

Video courtesy James Hawkins

The fire is now contained, and the cause remains under investigation, SFFD said. There is no threat to the public, officials said.

Garrett Leahy can be reached at garrett@sfstandard.com


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