A three-alarm fire erupted in a San Francisco Financial District residential high-rise early Friday, sending dozens of residents fleeing down fire escapes and leaving at least five suffering from injuries, authorities said.
San Francisco fire officials tweeted that the was fire was contained at around 4:15 a.m. Dozens of residents were nestled in the predawn cold on the streets below the high rise located at 440 Davis Court. Firefighters responded to alarms from the building at around 1:30 a.m. Arriving crews found frightened residents huddled in the street and smoke and flames pouring out of an apartment on the 11th floor. Smoke was also visible on other adjacent floors.
Among those forced to flee was Margaret Lewis.
“The smoke was like a movie,” said Lewis, who lives on the 11th floor. “You couldn’t see down the hallway and it smelled like burning plastic.”
She said was awoken by the building’s fire alarm system.