Hotel Burns In San Francisco, One Injured

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — A fire that damaged a hotel in San Francisco's Russian Hill neighborhood, injured one person and closed nearby streets has been completely extinguished, a fire department spokesman said Sunday morning.

The fire at the Broadway Hotel at 2048 Polk St. was reported just after 6 a.m. and was swiftly knocked down, said San Francisco Fire Department spokesman Justin Schorr. Residents who were evacuated have returned and Broadway and Polk streets reopened around 8 a.m., he said.

One person sustained minor injuries in the blaze. The victim had not been transported to the hospital as of early Sunday morning.

After containing the blaze, firefighters remained on the scene until around 9 a.m. checking the building to ensure the blaze was completely out, Schorr said.

The spokesman said that after swiftly knocking a fire down, one of the challenges is ensuring that all of the embers in older buildings like the hotel are chased down and there is no lingering threat.

"A fire can double in size every 60 seconds," the spokesman said. "It's our goal to arrive quickly, knock down the fire and then do our investigation to determine if the fire has been completely extinguished."

Often, firefighters will extinguish the main fire and for a considerable time afterwards will be opening ceilings and floors to ensure the fire is completely extinguished, Schorr said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, Schorr said.


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