Ocean View Fire That Displaced Family Of 14 Under Investigation

An early Tuesday morning one-alarm fire has left a family of fourteen displaced.

The San Francisco Fire Department shared on X at 3:34 a.m. that a residential structure fire had broken out along the 2800 block of San Jose Avenue between Sadowa and Broad streets. SFFD Lt. Mariano Elias told The Ingleside Light the fire was reported at 2:54 a.m. and started in the attic. It has left 12 adults, two minors and one dog displaced, with one being transported to a local hospital for a medical complaint. The American Red Cross was also notified.

“It’s pretty abrupt,” said David Valentine, who helped his family evacuate the home. “Obviously, my whole family is in shock. My aunt had a heart attack, so it’s a lot going on.”

The fire left significant smoke damage and destroyed Valentine’s brother’s bedroom. His family was the only tenants on the lot. Valentine also said his aunt, Rebecca Panis, remains in critical condition and won’t be released for a few days.

Valentine said that they are currently figuring out their next steps, which may include finding an Airbnb in San Francisco or a nearby location.

“It’s terrible,” Valentine said. “We lost a lot of stuff in there, a lot of memories, but new beginnings, I guess.”

While the cause of the fire is still under investigation, Valentine believes it originated from a sagging power line over the roof. He said a crew from PG&E rushed over in the morning.

Valentine, who works for the city as a construction engineer, said PG&E sent a crew to fix things about one month ago. He also said he noticed his electricity bill got significantly higher during this time.