San Francisco Fire Department credits tactics and coordination for saving residents amid fast-moving Masonic fire

The San Francisco Fire Department told the Fire Commission on Jan. 10 that a December blaze at 720 Masonic required a third alarm and aggressive tactics to protect adjacent buildings and evacuate residents.

"A full box was struck for a 3‑story unit and on arrival there was fire showing from the sidewalk level throughout the building," Deputy Chief Darius Luthrop said in a presentation to commissioners, describing how crews redirected engine 21 and split truck-company crews to search and attack fire in exposure buildings. Open‑frame renovations inside 720 Masonic, Luthrop said, allowed the fire to move rapidly through the structure and raised the risk of collapse.

Luthrop said crews coordinated master streams and breaching operations that used water from neighboring buildings to suppress the main seat of fire. He described the rescue squad’s work in the rear of the building: "Our rescue squad made it to the rear… and encountered two people who had been forced to jump from the rear of the building. They packaged very carefully the two people and were attempting to get them out…" Those two people were transported to the hospital.

The department initially evacuated 44 people from the block and reduced that number to seven displaced residents by the end of the incident. Luthrop emphasized the tactical decision to treat contiguous buildings as separate divisions and assign chiefs responsibility for search, rescue and attack: "It allows for greater accountability, the safety of the members, and the efficiency of operations."

Two people who spoke to the commission afterward described the incident firsthand. A resident who identified herself as Mary said she called 911 and watched firefighters arrive; she thanked crews for saving lives. Harold Dunn, who identified himself as an owner of 720 Masonic and called from the hospital, described injuries his wife sustained and said, "there's no question our lives were saved by the work and professionalism of everyone involved."

Commissioners thanked department staff and the public commenters and asked follow-up questions about damage to neighboring homes and sheltering for displaced residents. Deputy Chief Luthrop said the department had established sheltering partnerships (including use of John Adams Community College that night) and worked with the Red Cross to connect displaced residents with temporary assistance.

The commission did not take formal action on the incident report; it heard public thanks and the operations briefing during the Jan. 10 meeting.