Firefighter injured battling blaze in San Francisco's Bayview District

SAN FRANCISCO - A 2-alarm fire in San Francisco left a firefighter injured Wednesday morning.

Crews were called to 1215 Fitzgerald Avenue in the Bayview District around 3:20 a.m. to a 2-story home that caught fire.

It took 70 firefighters to battle the flames, officials said. One firefighter was hurt, but is said to be okay.

"This was a really challenging fire, we had somewhat of a hoarder situation. The house was just packed with a lot of material, belongings, debris. So there was a lot of fuel in there to burn," said Assistant Fire Chief Brook Beker. "It also made access difficult for us to get firefighters in there and get the hose lines and water where it needed to be. So it was very stubborn, very challenging. We had to rotate a lot of crews in and out because they were running out of air." 

ALSO: San Francisco first responders feel the impact after two EMTs were attacked

Officials said there was extensive damage to the building, and it is likely a total loss. Firefighters were able to save neighboring homes, although there was moderate damage to those buildings. 

The fire was reported contained a few hours later, and the cause is being investigated.

Baker said two dogs had to be rescued, but firefighters initially had a hard time getting in touch with the home owners.

"The house has a history of previous fires and there’s potentially some squatters and criminal activity that maybe has been taking place in the house, but all of that stuff is still under investigation," said Baker. 

SFFD said 3 people and 2 dogs are displaced and being helped by the Red Cross.  

ALSO: Man steals San Francisco ambulance, attempts to mow down paramedics