Supervisor Alan Wong shared this image on social media showing a vehicle fire near a sideshow near Kirkham and La Playa streets in San Francisco, Calif., early Saturday, an incident that renewed calls to crack down on reckless driving events. (Screenshot via Alan Wong @alankennywong/X)

San Francisco Supervisor Alan Wong praised the Fire Department for what he said was a quick response to a truck fire near a sideshow on Saturday and he is joining Supervisor Danny Sauter in tackling the reckless driving events.  

According to Wong, at about 4:30 a.m., police and fire crews began getting reports of an illegal sideshow near Kirkham and La Playa streets, as well as a vehicle engulfed in flames nearby.  

Officers arrived and allegedly saw multiple cars driving recklessly and people setting off fireworks.  

While police were dispersing the crowd, firefighters tended to a truck on fire near 48th Avenue and Kirkham Street. The fire was extinguished and the truck was towed just before 6 a.m., Wong said. No injuries were reported.  

“These incidents are extremely dangerous and have no place in our neighborhoods,” said Wong in a release from his office. “When a vehicle is set on fire in the middle of a community, it puts nearby residents, passing drivers, and our first responders at serious risk. We were fortunate that no one was hurt, but we cannot rely on luck when it comes to public safety. I am deeply concerned by this incident, and my office is working closely with our Police and Fire Departments to ensure accountability and prevent future incidents.” 

Wong said he is working with Sauter to cosponsor legislation to address sideshows and street takeovers that would raise fines from $500 to $1,000. 

In October, Sauter said that raising the maximum fines for misdemeanor sideshow offenses will help serve as a deterrent.  

“This is the action we’re taking to make it clear that this activity does not belong in San Francisco,” Sauter said in a video posted to his social media in October. 

Other major Bay Area cities, including Oakland and San Jose, already have $1,000 maximum fines in place for sideshow offenses. Some Bay Area jurisdictions also criminalize spectators, but Sauter did not specify if the proposed ordinance would impose penalties for observers not actively promoting or instigating the sideshow activities. 

“We’re bringing this fine up to standards of similar municipalities to show that San Francisco is paying attention and taking this seriously,” Sauter said in a statement. 

Katy St. Clair got her start in journalism by working in the classifieds department at the East Bay Express during the height of alt weeklies, then sweet talked her way into becoming staff writer, submissions editor, and music editor. She has been a columnist in the East Bay Express, SF Weekly, and the San Francisco Examiner. Starting in 2015, she begrudgingly scaled the inverted pyramid at dailies such as the Vallejo Times-Herald, The Vacaville Reporter, and the Daily Republic. She has her own independent news site and blog that covers the delightfully dysfunctional town of Vallejo, California, where she also collaborates with the investigative team at Open Vallejo. A passionate advocate for people with developmental disabilities, she serves on both the Board of the Arc of Solano and the Arc of California. She lives in Vallejo.