SAN FRANCISCO\u2014San Francisco fire investigators on Wednesday were looking into whether welding work was to blame for a huge blaze that tore through an apartment building construction site, threatening nearby buildings, prompting evacuations and forcing officials to call in about half the city\u2019s on-duty firefighters to prevent its spread.<\/p>\n
As fire crews doused hotspots in the charred remains of the block-long apartment complex, city officials said they narrowly avoided a catastrophe in one of the city\u2019s largest fires in recent years.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think we\u2019re very lucky that the fire didn\u2019t jump anymore,\u201d Mayor Ed Lee said.<\/p>\n
Two firefighters suffered minor injuries.<\/p>\n
Fire officials were looking into preliminary reports that workers were doing torch work at the site shortly before the fire was reported Tuesday evening, Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s too early to determine a cause at this point,\u201d Fire Department Battalion Chief Kirk Richardson said. \u201cOur arson investigators still have a lot of material they have to look at.\u201d<\/p>\n
The fire was fueled by wood frames and other materials at the site, Hayes-White said. Since it was under construction, the building also had no fire suppression systems.<\/p>\n
Fire officials did not have an exact estimate on the damage on Wednesday, but said the entire six-story building was considered a loss.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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