Tourists rescue man in wheelchair from Bernal Heights fire

A group of French tourists helped pull a wheelchair-bound man from his home during a two-alarm fire in San Francisco’s Bernal Heights neighborhood Friday afternoon, a fire spokesman said.

The fire began around 11:50 a.m. in the 800 block of Ellsworth Street, according to San Francisco Fire Department spokesman Lt. Baxter.

The blaze covered about two acres, and damaged four homes and a total of eight separate fences, fire officials said.

One person suffered a minor injury and was evaluated at the scene.

A group of French tourists staying in an adjacent home heard the cries for help of a wheelchair bound man and were able come to his aid and pull him to safety. Although the man was uninjured, his home was damaged in the blaze and he’s being assisted by the American Red Cross and city services, according to Baxter.

Baxter said:

“We’re providing as much assistance as we can.”

Baxter said fire officials were in the process of locating the heroic French tourists, but they feared that they might have already left on a plane.

A cause for the grass fire is under investigation.