San Francisco officials commemorate 1906 earthquake's 113th anniversary

SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) - Thursday marks the 113th anniversary of the 1906 earthquake and fire in San Francisco.

To commemorate the event, Mayor London Breed is set to join Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White, Police Chief William Scott and city supervisors, among others, for an early morning wreath-laying event.

The wreath will be dedicated to the victims who lost their lives in the quake and subsequent fires.

Hundreds of San Franciscans are also expected to attend the event, which starts at 4:30 a.m. at Lotta's Fountain at Kearny and Geary streets. At 5:11 a.m., the exact moment the large quake struck 113 years ago, the crowd will pause for a moment.

After that, at 5:15 a.m., city officials will head to 20th and Church streets for the annual gilding of the fire hydrant that saved the city's Mission District. To get there, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency will be providing a free streetcar ride aboard Vintage Streetcar No. 1, Muni's very first streetcar, first put into service in 1912.

Later on Thursday, at 11 a.m., the city's Department of Emergency Management will issue an AlertSF (emergency alert) test message to commemorate the anniversary. The messages are typically used to send alerts and provide instructions to subscribers after major natural disasters.

On Wednesday, Breed and Hayes-White attended a Survivors Luncheon at John's Grill, where Breed presented a special vintage fire helmet to Donna Huggins, who has been involved in keeping the history of the 1906 quake alive since 1974.