Fire burns apartment building in San Francisco’s North Beach neighborhood

By Carlos E. Castañeda

A fire burned at an apartment building in San Francisco’s North Beach neighborhood on Friday evening.

The fire burned on the top floor of the building on Montgomery Street, just south of Vallejo Street and about a block north of Broadway. Flames were seen pouring out of a window and sending smoke billowing over the area.

There was no immediate information on how the fire started. Firefighters had begun to knock down the fire as of 5:30 p.m., and white smoke was seen coming from the building. The San Francisco Fire Department said on social media at 6:21 p.m. that the fire had been contained.

It was unclear how many residents were inside the apartment at the time, but the Fire Department said crews confirmed there were no injuries in the fire and a cat was rescued.

Five units were displaced between the building where the fire originated and a neighboring building. 

The San Francisco Department of Emergency Management urged people to avoid the area, where the streets are especially narrow and steep.

This is a breaking news update. More information to be added as available.