PHOTOS: Crews battle 3-alarm fire at Rolling Stock in SF's Mission District
The Red Cross said the fire victims include 12 families with six children. A food bank and the Salvation Army are standing by ready to offer help.
Broken glass and ashes were swept up Monday from the burned out Rolling Stock auto and tire store.
The fire was reported at 7:45 a.m. Flames throwing off huge plumes of thick black smoke could be seen for miles. "You could see through the courtyard the flames, just wall of flames," Foxy Linzmier said.
Linzmier said police broke down the door to wake her up and warned her to get out. Her apartment building was spared, but the one right next to the auto store sustained major damage and is now red tagged.
Nearly two dozen people were displaced by the fire. Oscar Lepe and his father Gregorio went to the apartment building Monday, but were not allowed inside their home of 41 years. "So one of the things we were worried about is whether we'll be able to come back after it's all taken care of," Lepe said.
Gregorio and Oscar Lepe are displaced. Their home of 41 years is red tagged after a fire in the Mission yesterday. pic.twitter.com/8tm3JekjTi
— carolyn tyler (@ctylerabc7) November 9, 2015
Under city law, they have a right to return at the same rent, but it often takes so long before the building is fixed that tenants move on with their lives. San Francisco Supervisor David Campos represents the Mission District, which has recently had several major residential fires. He's considering measures to possibly change repair requirements. "Is there something that we can do to expedite that process because there are protections that are in place, but unless the property is repaired within a period of time, those protections become meaningless to the people who have been displaced," he said.
"I grew up in this city. I don't want to leave the city," one man said.
Residents displaced by 16th St. fire have been given time to grab belongings and valuables. #abc7now pic.twitter.com/4O31hAwndb
— Cbarnard (@CornellBarnard) November 8, 2015
Red Cross assisting 17 adults and 4 kids displaced by 16th St fire.#abc7now pic.twitter.com/5QBjxCgtC6
— Cbarnard (@CornellBarnard) November 8, 2015
16th St. apt house red tagged by city, heavily damaged by smoke and fire. #abc7now pic.twitter.com/4ePjZBk8pG
— Cbarnard (@CornellBarnard) November 8, 2015
Norma & Priscilla say SFPD ordered them out this am when flames erupted next door. #abc7now pic.twitter.com/12mjNEWjn5
— Cbarnard (@CornellBarnard) November 8, 2015
The Hernandez family grabbed their dog Tino and escaped their apt.building, ahead of the fire. #abc7now pic.twitter.com/OiP35YLLvk
— Cbarnard (@CornellBarnard) November 8, 2015
About 21 people living next door to the fire grabbed what they could and ran. #abc7now pic.twitter.com/k70yABmng8
— Cbarnard (@CornellBarnard) November 8, 2015
Rolling Stock fire - 16th and Shotwell @MLNow @SFGate @abc7newsBayArea @kron4news pic.twitter.com/5oag9TDlBY
— JJ (@jjtipsytxt) November 8, 2015
Big fire happening in the Mission?? @abc7newsBayArea pic.twitter.com/7olpRETpL7
— Linda Kittlitz (@lindagk) November 8, 2015
Pic taken from 11th and Market #abc7now pic.twitter.com/unywVPLxKK
— Josh Sales (@joshsa_les) November 8, 2015
3rd floor #fire on 16th and Shotwell #sffd possible building collapse. #ladderpipes up @nbcbayarea @abc7newsBayArea pic.twitter.com/jDXfQKEvsj
— SF Firefighters 798 (@SFFFLocal798) November 8, 2015
Crews battle 3-alarm fire at building in SF's Mission District. https://t.co/mlnnM8lUXH @abc7newsBayArea pic.twitter.com/CzPN68zKPP
— bob & the mission (@mission) November 8, 2015
C'mon guys! #missionfire @SFFFLocal798 pic.twitter.com/KOf8aj2ySl
— Nina Gannes (@ninagannes) November 8, 2015
Red Cross volunteers have opened an evacuation center at 520 S. VanNess for residents impacted by this morning's SF's Mission District fire.
— Red Cross Bay Area (@RedCrossBayArea) November 8, 2015
Woke up to lots and lots of sirens. Looked out to the roof deck and saw this. #mission #fire #sf #video pic.twitter.com/gGeHbvx0px
— Danyn (@snail_5) November 8, 2015