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San Francisco: Firefighters knock back four-alarm blaze at Pier 29, future ... - San Jose Mercury News

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Firefighters fight a blaze at Pier 29 in San Francisco.


SAN FRANCISCO -- Firefighters have contained a stubborn four-alarm fire that destroyed the facade of picturesque Pier 29, where construction has been underway to house some of the activities surrounding the America's Cup race in 2013.
Investigators are trying to determine the cause of the fire, which broke out about 1:50 p.m. in the bulkhead building. Workers were welding some materials in the southeastern corner of the building when the fire broke out, but officials have yet to link that work to the fire, said Monique Moyer, executive director of the Port of San Francisco.
Construction has been ongoing the site, which along with Pier 27 is to be the home of America's Cup Village in 2013. Pier 29, on the Embarcadero between Lombard and Sansome streets, is to house office space for the race, while Pier 27 is to be the point of yacht arrivals and departures and the site of a larger America's Cup Village.
In a statement Wednesday, race organizers said they didn't anticipate the fire would impact their plans for the site.
No one was injured in the blaze, which heavily damaged the facade of the Pier 29 building, Moyer said.
All employees were evacuated safely when the fire broke out; five vehicles that were inside also were removed without damage.
A damage estimate was not immediately available.
Traffic is blocked along The Embarcadero as crews mop up. Some public transit lines have been rerouted.
In their
statement Wednesday, organizers of the America's Cup noted the pier is still under the control of the city and Port of San Francisco and contractor Turner Construction Company."Based on information available at this time, we do not anticipate that this will have any impact on our plans for the site and we look forward to moving ahead with the future construction of the America's Cup Village at Pier 27/29," the statement said.