 at 6:00 AM, San Francisco's first great fire ignited in Dennison's Exchange, one of The City's richest gambling houses on Kearny Street opposite Portsmouth Square. Rising flames quickly destroyed Dennisons's and the south side of Washington Street between Kearny and Montgomery before the fearful blaze was halted by blowing-up and pulling down buildings at the inferno's edge. The newly-minted Gold Rush city was gone in a few short hours. The next day, the volunteer fire department was established with The San Francisco, The Empire, and The Protection companies. In less than a month of days, San Franciscans rebuilt their city.
 at about 4:00 AM, a suspicious fire erupted in a building on the east side of the United States Exchange, a drinking and gambling house built where Dennision's Exchange once stood. Before 11:00 AM, the conflagration consumed the block between Kearny, Clay, Washington, and Jackson. Again, dynamite and rope saved the city from complete destruction. With ashes still hot and smoking, the first evidence of arson was found. Within ten days San Franciscans had rebuilt half of their Phoenix City.
around 8:00 AM, fire flashed in the chimney of a wooden bakery at the rear of Merchants Hotel between Sacramento and Clay. Strong summer winds pushed the fiery serpent in all directions and the new metropolis, between Clay, California, Kearny and the Bay's edge, was shortly a mass of flames. Very little survived devastation more than equal to all previous losses. The fire vanquished, San Franciscans resurrected their city before a month passed, established wells and reservoirs, and organized more fire companies.
 near 4:00 AM, fire erupted in the Philadelphia House, a saloon on Jackson Street, and raced to every point on the compass. The fast-moving inferno filled the sky with smoke, flame, and blazing cinders. Firemen fought heroically with little water against the sea of flame's terrible speed. The great area of mostly one story wooden buildings between DuPont, Montgomery, Washington and Pacific turned to ash. The devouring beast's swift destruction made clear the need for more firefighters and exceptional leadership. Again, San Francisco rose within fewer than a month of days.
The great fire on this day actually began after 11:00 PM on May 3rd, in a store on the south side of Portsmouth Plaza. A known habitue of villainous Sydney-Town was seen running from the store moments before it exploded in flame and simultaneous fires erupted in the business district. Water evaporated to steam as swift winds sent the roaring flames everywhere through the great blow-pipe-like hollows beneath the plank streets. Men in their anguish, ran for shelter within new, fancied "fireproof" brick and iron buildings, only to perish miserably when the metal shutters and doors expanded and couldn't be opened. Three-fourths of the city was lost, yet, in ten days, San Franciscans rebuilt one-fifth of their city.
 , just before 11:00 AM, a fire, clearly the work of an incendiary, broke out in a frame house on Pacific Street near Powell. Strong summer sea-breezes drove the flames south and east. Firefighter's fearless battles were of no avail against the fire's intense heat and speed. Ten blocks and portions of six others were destroyed between Powell, Sansome, Clay and Broadway. The raging demon swept away relics of an older time. City Hall was consumed, born in 1846, and the Jenny Lind Theatre burned for the sixth time. The Old Adobe Custom House burned, and Sam Brannan's House, in which were exhibited the first specimens of gold brought from the Placers, met the same fate. San Franciscans quickly rebuilt again, this time, with water tanks on many roofs.
 at 5:12 AM, an 8.25 earthquake twisted and tore at San Francisco, tossing bricks, building, and stunned citizens into heaving, ruptured streets. South of Market Street over 40 fires smoldered to later merge with fires spawned north of Market and on Hayes Street to devastate The City in a three-day firestorm reaching 2,700 degrees and moving with tornado-like ferocity. Undaunted, firemen fought heroically, in spite of broken, empty water mains, and succeeded, once more by rope and blast, in saving the city from total destruction. Casualties are estimated to be at least 2,300 dead. Within three years, San Franciscans rebuilt their city and in 1915, hosted the Panama-Pacific Exposition to toast the Panama Canal and their own resurrection from tragedy.
Credits:
Barbary Coast Press, Rick Covell
Copy by Katherine York and Tim Keefe
Illustrations by David McMacken
San Francisco Vintage Firehouse Poster is on sale at the San Francisco Fire Museum Gift Shop
Click here for more details.
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