Man dies in San Francisco North Beach apartment fire

SAN FRANCISCO -- An elderly man died in an apartment fire in San Francisco's North Beach neighborhood Thursday night, according to the San Francisco Fire Department.

Firefighters responded at 10:01 p.m. to 1050 Columbus Ave. in response to a fire in a unit of a 12-unit apartment building, a fire department spokeswoman said.

Fire spokeswoman Mindy Talmadge said firefighters found smoke coming from third floor windows when they arrived and they were able to help two elderly men out of the building.

Medics pronounced one of the men dead after they were unsuccessful at resuscitating him outside the building. The San Francisco Medical Examiner has not released the name of the man.

Medics treated the other man, 88, for smoke inhalation and released him.

The one-alarm fire was under control by 10:29 p.m. and crews contained the fire to the unit where the fire started, Talmadge said.

Talmadge said some residents were not allowed back into the building, but they did not need American Red Cross help finding a temporary place to live.

Investigators are still working to determine the cause of the fire. Arson investigators were called to the scene to determine the cause and they have not found anything suspicious so far, Talmadge said.