September 17, 1850

On September 17, 1850 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.

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.