Huge fire in North Beach building brings damage but no injuries

Members of the San Francisco Police Department carry breaching equipment toward the scene of a four-alarm structure fire at the North Beach neighborhood in San Francisco, Calif. on Saturday, March 17, 2018. Members of the San Francisco Police Department carry breaching equipment toward the scene of a four-alarm structure fire at the North Beach neighborhood in San Francisco, Calif. on Saturday, March 17, 2018. Photo: Stephen Lam, Special To The Chronicle Photo: Stephen Lam, Special To The Chronicle Image 1 of / 24 Caption Close Huge fire in North Beach building brings damage but no injuries 1 / 24 Back to Gallery

A huge fire raged through a three-story North Beach building Saturday evening, shooting flames high into the nighttime sky.

The blaze, which was reported just before 7:30 p.m., shot through the brick building at 659 Union St. between Powell Street and Columbus Avenue, sending St. Patrick’s Day revelers fleeing into the street.

No one was injured, Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White said, and the cause remains under investigation.

“We got there within two minutes of getting the call,” Hayes-White said. “There was heavy flame on the upper floors and heavy flame in the elevator shaft.”

Fire engulfed the empty apartments on the second and third floors of the building, said Deputy Chief Mark Gonzales. Several businesses are on the first floor of the building, including Coit Liquors and the Rogue Ales Public House.

Juan Alatorre of Oakland and his girlfriend, Greta Gonzalez, were in the Rogue Ales at 673 Union St. when a bartender suddenly jumped on a table and yelled for everyone to get out.

“The flames were coming up 20 feet in the air when we left,” he said. “It was like the fire just erupted.”

Within minutes, flames broke through the roof of the building, with fire suddenly visible from the hills around North Beach and billows of smoke pouring from the building.

Joe Lumis of Oakland was in Washington Square Park, across the street from the building, when he saw the first flames.

“I thought everything was under control, and then literally everything went red,” he said. “It was like 20 to 30 seconds ... and then suddenly everyone in the park had their phones up.”

Mayor Mark Farrell and Supervisors Aaron Peskin and London Breed were among those on the scene.

“There were no injuries, that’s the good news,” Breed said.

Ten businesses were evacuated, four on Union Street and six on Columbus Avenue. Two adjoining apartment buildings also were cleared, but fire officials could not say how many people were forced to leave.

By 9 p.m., no flames were visible, but firefighters were still pouring water into the building. At the height of the blaze, 130 firefighters and 45 vehicles were at scene.