Firefighters still don't know what caused the four-alarm fire that ripped through the roof of Pier 29 yesterday afternoon, stopping traffic along the Embarcadero, and hypnotizing tourists near the Wharf.
What they do know is that it caused more than $2 million in damages, SFFD spokeswoman Mindy Talmadge told the press.
What began as a two-alarm fire at 2 p.m. on Wednesday quickly escalated into a four-alarm blaze, as flames spit from the top of the pier. The blaze burned for nearly two hours as a team of firefighters worked to control it.
Construction workers had been welding inside the southeast corner of Pier 29 when the fire started, but officials still don't know if was the welding that sparked the initial flames.
Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White told the San Francisco Chronicle that 75 percent of the front section of the building was destroyed. The good news is that nobody was injured, and firefighters stopped the flame before the fire spread.
In a statement released Wednesday, America's Cup organizers said they "do not anticipate" that yesterday's fire will disturb their plans for the yachting race. Pier 27 will be transformed into a 10,000-seat stadium and the starting line for the event, while Pier 29 will provide extra space for spectators.
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