A three-alarm fire in San Francisco Wednesday afternoon burned a cafe, several residential units and an art studio before it was declared under control, according to fire Capt. Pete Howes.
The fire was reported at 1:48 p.m. at a two-story structure in the 700 block of Innes Ave. Howes said there was a cafe in the front of the building at street level, with a residential unit in the rear. The second floor contained multiple residential units. As the fire gained momentum, it spread across an alley space about 25 feet wide into an adjacent building containing an art studio, Howes said.
The fire was declared under control at 3:10 p.m. Howes said he did not have an estimate on the amount of damage done to either building.
Two injuries were reported in connection with the blaze, one to a police officer who suffered smoke inhalation and the other to a firefighter who was struck by debris from a collapsing ceiling, Howes said.
Both were treated for their injuries and have been released. No injuries were reported to any occupants of either building, but the fire displaced about 15 residents, according to the American Red Cross Bay Area chapter.
Emergency personnel made an unexpected find while fighting the blaze, according to Howes. "I was told that there was a marijuana farm somewhere in the back of the building," he said. Howes said he did not know whether any arrests had been made in connection with the marijuana, and said he believed the plants might have been cultivated for medicinal purposes.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
