Mission residents press San Francisco Fire Commission over repeated building fires and enforcement backlog

San Francisco — Residents and community organizations packed a Mission Neighborhood Centers meeting on April 27 to press the San Francisco Fire Commission and the Fire Department for tougher enforcement and faster investigations after a series of building fires that have displaced families.

Supervisor David Campos opened the community remarks by asking why the Mission’s share of the city’s working fires had risen sharply over a decade. “What is going on in the Mission? Why are there so many fires in the Mission?” Campos asked, citing department materials that showed the neighborhood’s share of city fires rose from about 3.3% in 2004 to roughly 9.4% in 2015. Campos said he would ask the city attorney to draft legislation requiring commissions to meet periodically in neighborhoods and announced plans for a hearing on an alleged backlog of investigations, which he said numbered “more than 300.”

Fire Department officials provided a data-driven overview of working fires and prevention efforts. Fire Marshal Dan DeCozio described the department’s classification of "working fires" (structure fires requiring a full assignment) and said the Mission averages about 17 such…