Firefighter injured, 3 rescued, puppy missing in San Francisco Excelsior District fire

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Four people, including a firefighter, were hurt as flames engulfed a San Francisco home late Monday morning.

The fire started at a home on Vienna Street, in the Excelsior neighborhood. Flames and smoke could be seen from far away. The fire department called a second alarm.

It was a close call for two families in the Excelsior neighborhood.

"I heard a terrible noise and I looked through the window and there was a whole big fire," said neighbor Tianhao Li.

Li woke up to flames burning outside of his bedroom window. He says he ran upstairs to make sure his parents were safe. His neighbor's house and his bedroom were both on fire.

Luz Pena: "How close were the flames to your room?"

Tianhao Li: "Maybe this much close. Maybe 1.5 meters"

The fire was reported at 10:29am at 266 Vienna Street. At least seven people lived in this property and three of them were home.

"Our units arrived on scene roughly 4 minutes from the initial dispatch and we had reports of individuals potentially trapped inside this building," said Lt. Johnathan Baxter with San Francisco Fire Department.

For hours approximately 70 firefighters fought the flames and rescued the residents and a dog inside 266 Vienna Street. Next door, at 270 Vienna Street multiple people were evacuated.

"We were very successful in getting three individuals out all who I'm being told are adults. Two of them suffered burns and smoke inhalation. They have been transported to the Trauma Center," said Lt. Johnathan Baxter with San Francisco Fire Department.

Inside the burned home not every family member was rescued.

Two of three cats were found dead and a seven-month-old pup named "star" is still missing.

Search dogs were called to the scene while the family went through what's left of their home, pictures that survived the fire.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.