Two injured, eight displaced in two-alarm house fire near Candlestick Park

A two-alarm blaze heavily damaged an older, two-story wood-frame home on the 100 block of Exeter Street, sending two people to hospitals and displacing eight residents. The fire threatened neighboring properties, blocked a main street during the response, and drew Red Cross and utility support.

Firefighters responded after an evening alarm and brought the incident under control within about an hour. “Firefighters were dispatched to the fire at 8:34 p.m. and had it under control by 9:25 p.m., Lt. Mariano Elias said.” By first arrival, the fire was already advanced: “By the time firefighters first arrived, flames were blowing out the back of the home and the rear staircase was engulfed in fire, Elias said.” Videos posted by the fire department shortly after 9 p.m. showed flames through the roof, firefighters exiting a front door and operating from an adjacent roof, heavy smoke, and crews using chainsaws and removing a charred mattress from inside the unit.

Agency crews described an aggressive interior and exterior fire attack. Officials and a regional fire-news feed reported that the fire spread through the roof and reached an exposed building next door; that feed estimated that about half of the residence was burned. Homes on both sides of the house sustained slight fire damage, and firefighters continued to extinguish hot spots after the blaze was declared under control. Personnel from the city water department assisted at the scene while the main street remained closed for the investigation and cleanup.

Two people were taken to hospitals. Lt. Elias provided details on one injured resident: “The burn injury occurred on the hands of the occupant of the bottom unit when he tried to grab his computer equipment, Elias said. He was taken to a burn unit, but his injury was not deemed serious, Elias said.” A fire-news feed also reported that one of the hospitalized people was elderly, though officials have not publicly clarified whether that person was the burn victim.

The Red Cross assisted displaced residents on the block. City officials have not released an official cause or a final damage estimate; investigators remained at the scene through the night and follow-up inspections of neighboring buildings may be required.

Conflicting neighborhood labels appear in early reports, with some accounts identifying the location as Bayview and others as Excelsior; the address is the 100 block of Exeter Street, and an official neighborhood designation should be confirmed with city mapping or the fire department. For residents, the incident underscores the vulnerability of older wood-frame housing to fast-moving fires and the ripple effects on shelter needs and street access. Fire investigators will determine origin and cause, and authorities have indicated they will provide updates as more information becomes available.