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San Francisco's Alcatraz Evacuated After False Fire Alarm

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- About 1,100 people were evacuated from Alcatraz Island in the San Francisco Bay after a faulty fire alarm went off Sunday afternoon, according to authorities.

The alarm went off about 1:30 p.m., but no smoke or flames were found on the island, Golden Gate National Recreation Area spokeswoman Alexandra Picavet said.

Fire crews later confirmed it was a false alarm and said it could not immediately be reset.

Alcatraz Cruises, the company that provides boat tours to the island, indicated that a vessel had just dropped off a full load of passengers when the alarm went off. The company evacuated the passengers as a precautionary measure, though no injuries were reported.

Tours of the popular San Francisco tourist attraction were canceled for the rest of the day while investigators looked into the issue.

That left long lines of tourists waiting for refunds. The tour company said it also would refund those passengers whose trip was cut short.

(Copyright 2011 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services may have contributed to this report.)

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