Neighbor raises $180,000 for San Francisco fire victims

SAN FRANCISCO — A man who witnessed a San Francisco apartment complex blaze has raised $180,000 on a crowd-funding site for fire victims to find new homes.

The San Francisco Chronicle reports (http://bit.ly/1DZlZeO ) that 27-year-old Zack Crockett raised the money.

He lives in the Mission district neighborhood where the fire charred a 19-unit apartment complex and displaced more than 50 people on Jan. 28.

He says expected to raise $2,000, but the response overwhelming.

The newspaper reported that middle schoolers held bake sales to donate, churches passed the hat, and Google kicked in $16,000. Most of the money came in small chunks. In all, 2,300 people and businesses donated.

Fire victims received checks ranging between $6,000 and $15,000. Families, elderly people and single moms got bigger checks than young people living alone.

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Information from: San Francisco Chronicle, http://www.sfgate.com