After fires, buildings sit empty in San Francisco

Fire destroyed part of the Divisadero-area building that housed Taddesse Haile's coffee shop and Ethiopian restaurant, Oasis Cafe, this summer. Like other businesses affected by fire, there's no quick return to normalcy.

Why it matters: Building fires happen more often than we might think in San Francisco and, in their wake, they displace residents and our beloved, local businesses.

• Decimated structures can also take years to rebuild, leaving eyesores in neighborhoods and lost housing opportunities.

District 5 Supervisor Dean Preston told Axios one of the main reasons buildings can sit so long after a fire is that "there's no actual timeline" from the city that requires a structure to be habitable again by a certain date.

Of note: Preston pointed to the recently passed vacancy tax, which has a provision to tax building owners around two years after a natural disaster or fire if their units are not occupied by that time.

• "I do think the vacancy tax, when that kicks in, is going to provide an additional incentive" to restore buildings after a fire, Preston said.

Flashback: The Oasis Cafe fire broke out in an upstairs apartment unit in late August.

• There were no major injuries, but besides Oasis and neighboring Kava Lounge, 10 residents were displaced.
• Haile could only watch from the street as crews put out the flames and wonder what was to come next for his business.

Meanwhile, a week later, another fire broke out down the road at 244 Divisadero, displacing 13 tenants and shuttering the long-standing Phuket Thai indefinitely. The San Francisco Fire Department recently confirmed with Axios that the fire was accidental, caused during roof work.

Catch up quick: Walk by 1604 McAllister St. today and not a whole lot has changed since the fire.

• Part of the upper-floor apartments are still charred, windows are boarded up and a chain-link fence surrounds the building.
• According to public records, the building's owners have started efforts to shore up the structure, a necessary step to allow for future inspection and construction. But no rebuilding plans and permit requests have been submitted to the city.

• The cause of the fire was never determined, the SFFD said.

Context: Haile moved to San Francisco from Ethiopia in 2000, and by 2007, he had opened up a discount grocery and retail store on the corner of McAllister and Divisadero.

• He started with coffee first, but over time, he was able to turn Oasis Cafe into one of the city's top spots for Ethiopian food.
• "That was my dream, but now, fire has become an enemy to distort my way," he said.

What's next: While it's still unknown when the building will be restored and cleared by the city, Haile said he's holding out hope that he'll be back open for business sometime in the new year.

• A GoFundMe organized by nearby neighbor Susan Work has raised more than $30,000 — part of which Haile says went toward paying his employees and vendors.