San Francisco Firefighters Rush Into Burning Apartment To Save Woman

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- A San Francisco fire rescue crew raced through flames engulfing a Nob Hill apartment early Tuesday, rescuing a woman stranded on a fourth floor balcony, officials said.

San Francisco Assistant Fire Chief Bob Postel said when crew arrived at the Nob Hill apartment building at 4:07 a.m. they saw a woman on the balcony of the burning apartment, yelling for help.

A rescue crew raced into the building and up the fourth floor.

"The crews took a tremendous risk going through that (fire) involved apartment," Postel said. "They did it knowing there was a life to save."

Postel said the crews were racing the spreading flames.

"If we hadn't gotten her off that balcony...The flames would have gotten to her," he said. "She would have been in a real bad spot."

The woman and the firefighters used a ladder to escape the balcony. Fortunately, neither the woman nor the firefighters suffered any injuries.

The two-alarm fire at the multi-residential building at 1591 Jackson St. was reported at 4:07 a.m. and deemed under control at 4:54 a.m.

The American Red Cross were assisting six residents who were displaced in the blaze.

The fire heavily damaged the apartment. The cause of the blaze had yet to be determined.