San Francisco News

City Kill Switch Law Proposed in San Francisco

A San Francisco supervisor is proposing legislation requiring smartphones and other mobile devices sold in the city to be equipped with a “kill switch” to render them inoperable if lost or stolen. Supervisor London Breed’s local proposal on Tuesday comes …

Spray-Painted Fire Hydrants Threaten Public Safety

Spray-painted fire hydrants in San Francisco are creating a public safety threat and costing the city tens of thousands of dollars, a newspaper reported. Thirty-five to 40 hydrants have been spray-painted in recent months, Bill Gunn, with the San Francisco …

Family Members Sue Over Fatal California Limo Fire

Family members of the five nurses who died in a limousine fire on a San Francisco Bay Area bridge have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against several companies, including those that maintained the limousine and customized it. The lawsuits – …

Lightning Strikes Lead to Small Fires North of San Francisco

A storm moving across Northern and Central California has brought hundreds of lightning strikes, leading to nearly two dozen wildfires. The National Weather Service counted nearly 500 lightning strikes north of San Francisco Monday. State fire officials say the lightning …

San Francisco Cable Car Accidents Costs Millions

In this city of innumerable tourist attractions, the clanging, hill-conquering cable cars stand out as a top draw. The quaint conveyances also stand out for the inordinate number of accidents and the millions of dollars annually the city pays out …

No Alarm Before California Cable Car Mishap

An alarm that alerts authorities about possible obstructions on San Francisco’s world-famous cable car line didn’t sound off before a cable car hit a bolt and came to an abrupt stop, injuring seven people, transit officials said Thursday. The alarm …

San Francisco Seeking $1.2M for Costs in Fan Beating

San Francisco officials are seeking $1.2 million from the Los Angeles Dodgers to cover the unpaid medical costs for Bryan Stow, a San Francisco Giants fan who was brutally beaten in the parking lot of Dodger Stadium. In recent filings …

San Francisco Hires Quake Safety Czar

A building permit consultant has been hired as San Francisco’s first earthquake safety czar. The San Francisco Chronicle says Patrick Otellini is a certified building inspector who served on the mayor’s task force examining soft-story building risks. So-called soft-story buildings …

Refinery Fire Spews Black Smoke Over San Francisco

A fire at one of the largest refineries in the U.S. spewed thick black smoke over cities in the San Francisco Bay area, sending more than 200 residents to hospitals complaining of breathing problems early Tuesday. The blaze at the …

Felled Wires From Electric Bus Injure 3 in California

Three people who were in the path of several power lines that were felled by an electric trolley bus in San Francisco, Calif., have been taken to the hospital. The San Francisco Chronicle reports that none of their injuries are …