Three‑alarm Tenderloin fire displaces dozens; Red Cross and city open shelters, move tenants to hotels

A three‑alarm fire in the Tenderloin displaced dozens of residents early on New Year's Eve and triggered a multiagency shelter operation, officials told the San Francisco Disaster Council.

"01:40 in the morning, we had a 3 alarm fire at 920 Montgomery Street," said Harold Brooks of the American Red Cross, describing a response that initially used a nearby club as an evacuation center and then opened a full shelter at the Eugene Friend Recreation Center with city partners. Brooks said about 17 units were displaced, affecting roughly 71 people (figures described in the transcript as approximate), all reported as monolingual Cantonese speakers.

Red Cross and Human Services Agency staff said they ran the shelter operation through the night and placed residents in hotels and then into longer-term housing; the building is now under construction and the city—s Department of Building Inspection has worked with tenants and the property owner to speed repairs. Brooks said the Red Cross estimated relief costs for this operation at about $120,000, a figure that covers direct financial assistance, meals, snacks and operational expenses.

Council members commended the collaborative response among city departments and nonprofit partners. Representatives thanked Park and Recreation and the Red Cross for rapidly opening the recreation center and Saint Anthony's Foundation and other organizations for food and services.

Speakers also flagged recurring challenges experienced in such incidents: replacement housing for displaced tenants—particularly in rent-controlled contexts—and the need for on-scene bilingual translators for monolingual residents. The Disaster Council said those issues will be part of ongoing interim housing and language-access planning.