San Francisco, CA Ewing Field Ball Park Fire, Jun 1926

FLAMES SWEEP FRISCO REGION

Damage to Residences Is Estimated at $300,000.

San Francisco, June 5---(AP)--Fire threatened a large residential section of San Francisco late Saturday when burning embers from tinder dry wooden baseball grandstands and bleachers on Ewing field, a baseball park, were scattered on a 40-mile wind over an area of many square blocks.

More than 100 separate blazes were reported, most of them being extinguished with small loss. The total damage is estimated at $300,000.

Presentation convent and Mount Zion adjacent to the park were saved by liberal application of water, and because the wind blew the flames in the other direction.

Twelve small buildings directly across the street from the ball park were destroyed.

The fires had been brought under control early Saturday night but the extent of the damage had not been estimated. The fire in the ball park is said to have been started by a cigaret, as the fire was first discovered during a twilight league baseball game.

The rain of blazing embers went over the whole district near the ball park. Citizens, armed with buckets and garden hose, put out numerous fires and kept the roofs and walls of their homes soaked to prevent incipient fire from spreading.

When practically all the fire apparatus in the city had been sent to the scene of the conflagrations, a new fire broke out in another district, and destroyed 12 buildings burning $100,000 worth of raw hemp in one warehouse. Eleven other buildings were damaged. The origin of this fire was unknown.

Fire fighting equipment from the Presidio was sent to help the city apparatus.

Billings Gazette, Billings, MT 6 Jun 1926
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Transcribed by Linda Horton. Thank you, Linda!