Firefighters battling the five-alarm Mission Bay blaze had to tap into San Francisco's rarely used emergency backup water supply when regular sources proved inadequate, officials said Wednesday.

The regular system of mains and hydrants could not provide enough water pressure for the 90 fire engines and trucks that after 5 p.m. Tuesday converged on the burning building, an apartment complex under construction at Fourth and China Basin streets, Fire Department officials said.

As a result, firefighters had to drag 5-inch-diameter hoses several blocks to tap into the city's network of high-pressure emergency fire hydrants, which are fed by gravity from a pair of tanks - the Twin Peaks Reservoir, which holds 10.5 million gallons, and the Jones Street Tank on Nob Hill that contains 750,000 gallons.

The system, which dates to 1913, eventually gave firefighters enough water to control the blaze. But it required time to hook up; dragging the heavy-duty hoses to hydrants hundreds of yards away took more than 30 minutes, firefighters said.

In the meantime, crews used the existing supply to spray a "water curtain" to keep the fire from jumping to other buildings.

"The first step in the puzzle is to increase the domestic water supply," said Assistant Deputy Chief Ken Lombardi. "In a regular fire, if we have enough pressure at that point, game over, that's all we use."

There was only one high-pressure hydrant in the immediate area of the fire, however. Fire crews had to pick their way through other construction sites with their hoses and steel connectors needed to hook up to the more distant hydrants.

"That takes some time," said Mindy Talmadge, a Fire Department spokeswoman. "The first, main focus was protecting the surrounding structures. Once they got the (water pressure), they could deal with both situations at the same time."

Water flow from the backup system may have been slowed by the temporary absence of a third backup reservoir, a 500,000-gallon-capacity reservoir at Clayton Street and Twin Peaks Boulevard known as the Ashbury tank. It is being replaced, leaving the city with just the Twin Peaks and Jones reservoirs plus a pair of pumping stations that draw from San Francisco Bay.

Lombardi said the emergency system worked well once firefighters connected to it, and that it enabled firefighters to direct large amounts of water to put out the stubborn inferno.

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Emergency water supply used to fight San Francisco fire

SAN FRANCISCO Fire investigators on Wednesday were looking into whether welding work was to blame for a massive blaze that barreled through an apartment building construction site, threatening nearby structures and prompting evacuations as firefighters worked to prevent its spread through a San Francisco neighborhood.

City officials said a catastrophe was narrowly avoided in an up-and-coming area near AT&T Park, home of the Giants.

"I think we're very lucky that the fire didn't jump anymore," Mayor Ed Lee said.

The exact cause of the blaze -- one of the largest in the city in recent years -- was under investigation. Fire officials were looking into preliminary reports that workers at the block-long site were doing torch work shortly before the fire was reported around 5 p.m. Tuesday, Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White said.

"It's too early to determine a cause at this point," Fire Department Battalion Chief Kirk Richardson said. "Our arson investigators still have a lot of material they have to look at."

Two firefighters suffered minor injuries. One of them, Tom Murphy, suffered burns while battling the fire from above but didn't realize he was injured for hours, said firefighter Stephen Maguire, whose crew was among the first to arrive.

The five-alarm fire created a plume of black smoke that was visible for miles and led to the evacuation of nearby buildings as about 150 firefighters were called to contain it. A wall of the burning building collapsed about an hour after the fire began.

Firefighters had to take a defensive stance because the building was leaning in some areas, Maguire said.

The blaze cracked windows at Strata at Mission Bay, an apartment building across the street, and sent an ember onto the roof of a University of California, San Francisco building.

Flames briefly spread to scaffolding at another building under construction, Maguire said.

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Investigators look for cause of San Francisco fire

With fire crews still on the scene of Tuesday's five-alarm fire that destroyed an apartment building under construction in San Francisco's Mission Bay, evacuated residents remained uncertain Wednesday afternoon when they would be able to return home.

Fire Department spokeswoman Mindy Talmadge said most of the evacuated residents live at the Strata at Mission Bay apartments, and all have been able to find temporary housing on their own.

Zoe Solsby, a spokeswoman for Sares-Regis Group, which manages the 192-unit property that was built in 2009, said a team is walking through the evacuated building to "make sure apartments are safe and secure."

Staff is working with tenants to assist with any needs, she said.

She said staff is still working to figure out how many units were directly affected and what other damage the building sustained.

About 95 percent of the units are occupied, Solsby said.

She said staff was assessing the damage that mostly affected the front side of the building facing Fourth Street.

An employee at the front desk at the Strata leasing office said Wednesday morning that residents were not allowed to return home, but some had come earlier Wednesday to pick up belongings.

Talmadge said a sprinkler system had gone off in the Strata building and staff were unable to turn it off overnight and water was still coming out Wednesday morning.

Solsby said the sprinklers were also being assessed and it was unclear how much damage the water had caused.

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Residents near San Francisco fire put lives on hold

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SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) Crews on Wednesday afternoon started demolishing the remains of an apartment building that was under construction in San Franciscos Mission Bay neighborhood when it was destroyed in a five-alarm fire Tuesday.

The fire was reported just before 5 p.m. and quickly grew, sending up a dark plume of smoke that could be seen from many parts of the Bay Area. Flames spread and engulfed the building, and there was initial concern that the blaze could spread to other structures.

The flames have since been quelled and water has been poured onto the building overnight and throughout most of the day, according to fire officails.

The blaze has been contained to the building, but nearby buildings, including the Strata at Mission Bay apartments and a building at the University of California at San Francisco Mission Bay campus, were damaged by flying embers, excessive heat and smoke, officials said.

PHOTOS:San Francisco Mission Bay Fire

Deputy Chief Mark Gonzales said this isnt your typical fire, and fire crews will remain at the scene Wednesday evening watching for flare-ups as the demolition proceeds.

The construction company, Suffolk Construction Co., brought in equipment around 3 p.m. to pull apart the gutted building, parts of which were threatening to collapse, Gonzales said.

Fire crews are assisting and ready to put out any smoldering areas deeper into the building, he said.

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Crews Begin Knocking Down Building Damaged In San Francisco Mission Bay Fire

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SAN FRANCISCO (CBS / AP) Fire investigators on Wednesday were looking into whether welding work was to blame for a massive blaze that barreled through an apartment building construction site, threatening nearby structures and prompting evacuations as firefighters worked to prevent its spread through a San Francisco neighborhood.

City officials said a catastrophe was narrowly avoided in an up-and-coming area near AT&T Park, home of the Giants.

I think were very lucky that the fire didnt jump anymore, Mayor Ed Lee said.

The exact cause of the blazeone of the largest in the city in recent yearswas under investigation. Fire officials were looking into preliminary reports that workers at the block-long site were doing torch work shortly before the fire was reported around 5 p.m. Tuesday, Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White said.

Its too early to determine a cause at this point, Fire Department Battalion Chief Kirk Richardson said. Our arson investigators still have a lot of material they have to look at.

PHOTOS:San Francisco Mission Bay Fire

Two firefighters suffered minor injuries. One of them, Tom Murphy, suffered burns while battling the fire from above but didnt realize he was injured for hours, said firefighter Stephen Maguire, whose crew was among the first to arrive.

The five-alarm fire created a plume of black smoke that was visible for miles and led to the evacuation of nearby buildings as about 150 firefighters were called to contain it. A wall of the burning building collapsed about an hour after the fire began.

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Welding Possible Cause Of San Francisco Mission Bay Fire

By TERRY COLLINS and SUDHIN THANAWALA, Associated Press

A fire burned in a building under construction in San Francisco's China Basin on March 12, 2014. (Courtesy KGO-TV)

SAN FRANCISCO -- San Francisco fire investigators on Wednesday were looking into whether welding work was to blame for a massive blaze that barreled through an apartment building construction site, threatening nearby buildings, prompting evacuations and forcing officials to call in about half the city's on-duty firefighters to prevent its spread.

As fire crews doused hotspots in the charred remains of the block-long apartment complex, city officials said they narrowly avoided a catastrophe in an up-and-coming neighborhood near the San Francisco Giants ballpark.

"I think we're very lucky that the fire didn't jump anymore," Mayor Ed Lee said.

The exact cause of the fire -- one of the city's largest in recent years -- was under investigation. But fire officials were looking into preliminary reports that workers were doing torch work at the site shortly before the fire was reported around 5 p.m. Tuesday, Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White said.

The five-alarm fire created a plume of black smoke that was visible for miles and led to the evacuation of nearby buildings, as about 150 firefighters were called in to contain it. One of the walls of the burning building collapsed about an hour after the fire began.

"We were hoping that we could contain it as quickly as possible," said firefighter Stephen Maguire, whose crew was among the first to arrive at the scene.

Firefighters had to take a defensive stance because the building was leaning in some areas, he said.

The blaze cracked windows on an apartment building, Strata at Mission Bay, across the street and sent an ember onto the roof of a University of California, San Francisco building in the neighborhood. It also briefly spread to scaffolding at another building under construction, Maguire said.

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Welding possible cause of massive San Francisco fire

INDIANAPOLIS - Early St. Patty's celebrations, flowers, patios, health deadlines and possible traffic. Here's the scoop on some happenings this Thursday in Indianapolis with #INDYTODAY.

Every day, we'll keep you in the loop on events and what could affect you in downtown Indy. Today, there are a few items on the to-do list that might tickle your fancy. Make sure to tune in to Good Morning Indiana every day from 4:30 to 7 on RTV6 for updates on area happenings.

NaptownBrown Tapping Party

Start your St. Patrick's Day weekend early Thursday night with a fun event at Sun King Brewing Company. Sun King and the Naptown Roller Girls will join to host the Naptown Brown Tapping Party. Come and devour some tasty food from the Taste of Caribbean food trucks and buy a pint of fresh local beer for just $5. The no-cover event runs from 7 to 10 p.m.

More information here.

Enroll Indiana Week

The deadline to file for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act is quickly approaching. Covering Kids and Families of Central Indiana is reaching out during "Enroll Indiana Week" to help Hoosiers get covered before the March 31 deadline. Visit the Avondale Meadows YMCA Wednesday and Thursday to learn more about thealth insurance plans. You can visit between 9 a.m .and 7 p.m.

More information here.

Indiana Flower and Patio Show

With more than 400 exhibitors and dozens of showcase gardens, this show is great both for those getting a jump-start on their spring and summer gardening, and for those just looking for a lovely time! All day long through Saturday, head to the Indiana State Fairgrounds West Pavilion and Expo Hall for the show.

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#INDYTODAY | Thursday in the Circle City

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A security review has a local hospital working to close the door on people who might be looking to cause problems at the facility.

Starting Monday, March 17, Topeka's Stormont-Vail HealthCare will close some entrances early and add extra precautions at others.

Marketing director Nancy Burkhardt says, while there have not been any specific major incidents with unknown individuals gaining access to the facility, an evaluation found a lot of access points that were not necessarily secured. She says that left the door open to not having the best possible grasp about who might be coming and going from the facility. She says the new restrictions will allow Stormont to minimize the number of access points, thereby improving safety for patients, visitors and staff.

Starting Monday, the North Tower main entrance will be the only hospital entry open to the public around the clock. Burkhardt says this entrance was the logical choice for maximum access since it is adjacent to the facility's parking garage at SW 9th and Garfield.

The emergency room entrance will remain open 24/7 for ER patients and visitors, but will not provide an access to other areas of the hospital.

The South Tower and Surgery entrances, which currently are open until 9 p.m., will close at 6 p.m. In addition, the Pozez Education Center doors will become an entrance for staff only. Burkhardt says guests attending events, classes or other gatherings at Pozez are instructed to park in the parking garage anyway, so entering through the North Tower main entrance and following signs to Pozez will add little, if any, walking distance in addition to minimizing the need to walk outdoors in inclement weather.

For added safety, visitors at the main entrance after 9 p.m. will be required to show photo identification.

"We looked at what entrances are closest to the services we offer," Burkhard said. "What makes it most convenient and safest to patients and visitors and staff."

In addition, doors previously unsecured have new, keycard access installed for staff and additional security camera monitoring. Even with those additions, Burkhardt says, staff also will be required to use the main entrance after 9 p.m. because it is considered the safest entry with the best lighting.

In another step, Stormont now has an armed security officer stationed in its emergency department. Burkhardt says that as patient volumes have increased through the facility's Trauma Center, administrators felt it was time to make the shift.

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Security Review Prompts Shift In Public Entrances At Stormont-Vail

Wood Flooring Installation, Carpets in San Antonio TX 78260
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