Friday, May 18, 2007

Apartment Fire In S.F. Mission District Kills 1

cbs5.com - Apartment Fire In S.F. Mission District Kills 1: "

Apartment Fire In S.F. Mission District Kills 1

(CBS 5 / BCN) SAN FRANCISCO A fire at a Mission district apartment building Friday morning killed one man, while another woman was taken to a local hospital with burns.

The three-alarm fire happened on the corner of Duboce Avenue and Woodward Street.

The man who died was a 55-year-old limo driver and father of five who lived with his mother, according to a neighbor and friend of the family.

Virginia Ramos said she has been a friend of the man's 78-year-old mother, who was taken to San Francisco General Hospital after the fire, for more than 20 years.

The medical examiner's office this morning had not identified the man found dead in the third-floor flat.

Police said a woman suffered life-threatening injuries in the blaze, which affected 27, 29 and 31 Duboce Ave.�all units in a large building at the corner of Woodward Street.

Thirty people have been displaced by the blaze, according to officials from the Bay Area chapter of the American Red Cross.
A shelter has been set up for residents at a nearby park and recreation center.

Three fire trucks remained on scene Friday morning and streets around the building were blocked to traffic. Firefighters were still working to put out two hot spots, San Francisco fire Lt. Ken Smith said.

The blaze was first reported at 1:53 a.m. and was upgraded to a three-alarm fire four minutes after fire crews arrived, Smith said. The flames were contained around 3 a.m.

Ramos described her injured friend as a feisty woman who is quick to help anyone who needs assistance. Ramos, known as The Tamale Lady because of her popular itinerant tamale business, said her friend regularly helps her cook tamales to sell to Mission District bar patrons.

"We would talk for hours. We would be in the kitchen together arguing and wrestling and cooking tamales. She's a strong woman, but this is going to really affect her," Ramos said.

Ramos described her friend's son as "a nice man" and a father.

None of his children lived in the unit, she said.

Red Cross officials urged anyone interested in helping the fire victims to call 1-888-HELP-BAY or visit http://www.redcrossbayarea.org.

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Friday, May 18, 2007