San Francisco firefighter useless after combating ‘vital’ SFO parking storage blaze
June 16, 2021
A photo courtesy of the San Francisco Fire by Christopher G. Yock.
Courtesy of the San Francisco Fire
A 21-year-old veteran from the San Francisco Fire Department died on the morning of Jan.
Christopher G. Yock, 58, died at home just hours after fighting the incident with a “medical emergency,” which a San Francisco Fire spokesperson told the San Francisco Chronicle was cardiac arrest. (SFGATE and the San Francisco Chronicle are both owned by Hearst, but operate independently.)
The fire broke out on the top floor of SFO’s private parking garage, affecting eight cars and treating one person for shortness of breath. The fire was extinguished after an hour.
Yock, a San Rafael resident, was remembered as a dedicated firefighter, San Francisco lover, and “beloved fire chief” with an intimate knowledge of the local food scene, according to his obituary. He leaves behind his son Cayden and siblings Jennifer and Jeffery.
A vigil will be held on Thursday at 4 p.m. at St. Ignatius Church in San Francisco and donations can be made to a scholarship fund for Cayden. There will also be a memorial service in St. Ignatius on Friday at 1 p.m.
SFGATE news editor Amy Graff contributed to this story.
Joshua Bote is Assistant News Editor at SFGATE. He grew up in the Los Angeles area, went to UC Berkeley, and previously worked as a reporter for USA Today and a music writer for NPR. Email: joshua.bote@sfgate.com
