Explosion Scare at S.F. General Hospital Was Firecracker, Says SFPD

Update: 4:15 p.m. Thursday, July 7:

Sounds of explosives that prompted the evacuation of two San Francisco General Hospital buildings Thursday afternoon appear to have originated from a powerful, illegal firecracker, according to the city's Police Department:

Earlier in the afternoon, an unidentified officer reported over the scanner that he'd come across what appeared to be the "remnants of a barrel bomb" on the fifth floor of a hospital building.

There are no suspects at this time, SFPD Capt. Daniel Perea told reporters.

Original Post 3:55 p.m. Thursday, July 7:

A report of possible shots fired shortly after 2 p.m. Thursday quickly became a coordinated effort by city police, sheriff's deputies and the FBI to clear at least two buildings at San Francisco General Hospital.

Officers initially reported responding to potential shots fired or explosives, according to radio scanner audio. Witnesses reported hearing an explosion, according to the officers on the scanner. About 2:30 p.m., an officer reported: "Be advised on the fifth floor, it looks like remnants of a barrel bomb, west side."

Patients and medical personnel in hospital buildings 80 and 90 were sheltering in place as officers went through both structures, floor by floor. The buildings on the northern edge of the hospital's campus house a family health center, urgent care clinic, psychiatric care and other services, according to a hospital map.

The San Francisco Fire Department broadcast via Twitter that no injuries had been reported as of about 2:45 p.m.

There are unconfirmed reports that explosive sounds may have been caused by illegal fireworks.

UC San Francisco police and news services did not respond to requests to verify the alert.

SFPD radio traffic after 3:30 p.m. was mostly concerned with moving patients from different floors of the building.