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 fires annually. He told the commission that electrical failures were an unusually large share of Mission fires compared with national patterns.

Captain Attica Bowden, who leads the Bureau of Fire Investigation, listed recent Mission incidents and investigative findings — several large alarms traced to electrical faults, discarded smoking materials or evidence of trespassers — and urged community help. “If you know something, say something,” Bowden said, and provided the SFFD anonymous tip line, (415) 575-4444.

Captain Lourdes Russell led a practical safety briefing for residents: install and test smoke alarms monthly, place alarms inside and outside bedrooms and on every level, avoid using extension cords for major appliances, unplug portable heaters when unattended and keep combustibles three feet from heating equipment. Russell said informational sheets and smoke alarms (English and Spanish) were available in the back of the room.

Community groups and tenants’ advocates pressed for policy changes. Speakers from the Housing Rights Committee, Causa Justa and United to Save the Mission delivered a package of recommendations including annual inspections and follow-up within a month for violations, expanded inspections to smaller apartment buildings, consistent issuance of notices of violation and administrative hearings, penalties for repeated noncompliance, and interagency complaint-tracking similar to the Department of Building Inspection’s system. Tenant advocates warned that repeated, uncorrected violations at particular properties had produced multiple fires and displacement.

Several residents described recurring, unresolved violations at specific addresses. Small landlord and volunteer Spike Khan cited inspection reports he obtained under public-records requests showing the same violations recorded repeatedly at a building that later produced fatal or large fires; he told commissioners that some inspections dating back years did not show functioning alarms or corrected safety items.

Commissioners acknowledged the public’s concerns but framed many gaps as resource and jurisdictional issues. Vice President Ken Cleveland and others noted years of budget cuts and said staffing shortfalls limited follow-up inspections and investigative capacity; several commissioners committed to reviewing community recommendations and exploring resource needs.

The meeting also included operational updates: department leaders said they had budgeted roughly $250,000 for Super Bowl overtime but estimated total Super Bowl–related overtime expenditures at about $400,000, with roughly $40,000 reimbursed by the event host committee; Deputy Chief Ramona Williams outlined training, fleet and station projects; and the department reiterated progress on station upgrades and planned recruit graduations.

What happened next: President Francie Covington said she would ask department leadership to form an internal task force to study the Mission’s pattern of fires and report back to the community with recommended steps and a timeline. Supervisors and residents said they will pursue legislative and administrative options, and community groups said they will continue pressing for expanded enforcement and a complaint-tracking system.

Votes at a glance: The commission approved the March 23, 2016 meeting minutes by voice vote and approved Chief Joanne Hayes White’s request for a two-day paid leave of absence (May 16–17) to attend a fire chiefs conference; both actions were recorded as moved, seconded and approved by aye votes.