Fatal Fire Near San Francisco Cathedral Believed To Be Accidental
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- A fatal fire at an apartment building in San Francisco last week apparently started in a kitchen and is believed to have been accidental, a fire department spokeswoman said Monday.
Roosevelt Watts, 78, died in the two-alarm fire, which was reported at 9:50 a.m. Wednesday at a three-story building at 65 Cleary Court near Laguna Street.
The blaze started in an apartment on the second floor and spread to a third-story unit, fire spokeswoman Mindy Talmadge said.
Investigators have not determined what sparked the fire, but have narrowed down the point of origin to the kitchen area, according to Talmadge.
Watts was in an apartment on the second floor, Talmadge said.
Two other men suffered smoke inhalation but declined to be taken to a hospital. One firefighter suffered a minor laceration, she said.
The blaze caused about $600,000 in damage -- $500,000 to the structure of the building and $100,000 to its contents, Talmadge said.
(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco and Bay City News Service. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
