4:12 PM: A smoke alarm that was set off at San Francisco’s Superior Court building in the city’s Civic Center neighborhood prompted a brief evacuation this afternoon, a court spokeswoman said.
At 2:40 p.m. the alarm on the fourth floor of the building at 400 McAllister St. went off and triggered the emergency alarm system throughout the courthouse, spokeswoman Ann Donlan said.
By 2:50 p.m. the entire six-floor building was evacuated with about 350 staff, judges and jurors sent to Civic Center plaza, Donlan said.
Fire crews arrived at 2:55 p.m. and just after 3 p.m. gave the “all-clear” to return to the building, she said.
San Francisco sheriff’s spokeswoman Susan Fahey said as of 3:25 p.m. most people had returned to building.
The cause of the alarm is under investigation, Fahey said.
Donlan said there was a suspicious smell in the hallway.
3:44 PM: The San Francisco Superior Court building in the city’s Civic Center neighborhood has been evacuated, a sheriff’s spokeswoman said.
The alarms went off at the courthouse, located at 400 McAllister St., just before 3 p.m., sheriff’s spokeswoman Susan Fahey said.
Sheriff’s officials are working to figure out if something happened to set off the alarms or if the warning system malfunctioned, Fahey said.
Sasha Lekach, Bay City News
