SFPD investigates possible arson at construction site

Byby Sergio Quintana KGO logo
Monday, June 23, 2014
SFPD investigates possible arson at construction site
Police are investigating another possible arson attempt at a construction site in San Francisco.

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Police are investigating another possible arson attempt at a construction site in San Francisco.

Officers surrounded the half-built building at 2nd and Howard streets at 11:30 a.m. Sunday. It's one of several sites being investigated as a possible arson target.

The good news about the fire is that it did not cause much damage. It was sparked at the corner of 222 2nd St. Investigators have not yet released details as to how many of these fires they're looking into. However, by our count, it is the tenth fire in this neighborhood in just a few weeks.

Sunday's blaze was sparked just before noon at a construction site for a high rise building that is schedule to open next summer.

The police crime scene unit was called in to collect evidence.

ABC7 News has been told specifically that this fire is connected to the others.

Earlier this weekend we learned a joint task force of police inspectors and fire department investigators has been tracking these fires which, up until last week, had been minor incidents.

But on Thursday, someone got into the parking garage at One Rincon Plaza and took off after setting a car on fire.

There is a high rise tower under construction at that site, but residents have been living inside the completed tower for years now. So a fire in that parking garage was startling.

"It's scary of course," said resident Lauren Stefanopolous. "We're on a really high level. So to get out of the building fast is kind of scary for us if the elevators aren't working. But we'll try to do the best we can."

Sunday's fire happened at a development that does not have security guards patrolling the site. However, there are security cameras.

ABC7 News has learned that many of the construction sites in this neighborhood have been told to be an eye out for a bug. We've also been told that more security guards have been hired at some of those sites and some more security cameras have also been installed.