134-year-old San Francisco church grateful for firefighter response, no injuries in devastating fire

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- A 134-year-old church in San Francisco was gutted by a massive fire Monday that prompted a widespread shelter-in-place order, as investigators work to determine the cause.

The blaze tore through the San Francisco Central Seventh Adventist Church in Lower Pacific Heights, leaving the historic structure heavily damaged.

"The members of the Central California Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, along with Adventists around the world, stand in full solidarity with the congregation of San Francisco Central," the Church said in a statement. "Our hearts are with the church family, neighbors, and the first responders working to protect the community. We are profoundly grateful for the swift and courageous response of the firefighters on the scene."

PREVIOUS: Crews contain 3-alarm church fire in San Francisco's Lower Pacific Heights

A neighbor described the devastation she saw after the fire.

"I can't believe that there's no roof, you can see through the entire building," said Amanda, who lives nearby.

She said her husband first alerted her to the fire Monday afternoon.

"My husband was here working from home, and he sent me a message around, I think, 2:30 p.m. and he just said the church is on fire, and you could see like giant flames through those windows, and then I didn't get home from work until I don't know, like five, and it was still like a full three-alarm blaze," she said.

Video from Monday showed smoke pouring from the church as firefighters attacked the flames using multiple ladder trucks. At one point, five ladder trucks were deployed. The San Francisco Fire Department said it received the first calls about the fire at about 1:30 p.m. and brought it under control by 9:10 p.m.

Fire officials said the building was under renovation at the time, adding to the challenges crews faced.

Despite the intensity of the blaze, no injuries were reported.

"This shows the quality work of a professional fire department being quick and being able to react to such a fire this great in intensity," said Samuel Menchaca of the San Francisco Fire Department.

The extent of the damage raises questions about the building's future.

"So I got a chance to go with the fire watch engine company on scene in there, and there is extensive damage. There is extensive damage on the inside, it being such an older building with that heavy timber construction. You're seeing a lot of work that will need to be done in the future," Menchaca said.

Neighbors said they are hopeful the church can recover.

"This church has been through a lot, you know. There was vandalism not that long ago, less than a year ago. So, I just hope they're able to rebuild," Amanda said.

The building has a long history in San Francisco. Built in 1892, it was originally home to a Methodist congregation and survived the 1906 earthquake. The Seventh-day Adventist Church took over in 1927. Part of its tower was damaged in a 1957 quake, and the structure later withstood the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake without major damage.
Investigators continue working to determine what sparked the fire.

The church says that the San Francisco Philadelphian Seventh-day Adventist Church has opened its doors to the members of San Francisco Central.

"Beginning Sabbath, July 4, 2026, the San Francisco Central congregation will gather for worship at the San Francisco Philadelphian Seventh-day Adventist Church," the Church said. "This act of fellowship is a beautiful reminder that the church is not a building, but a community of believers united in Christ."