Smoke at San Francisco Russian Consulate, fire dept. reports 'everything's okay'

Black smoke was seen billowing from the roof of the Russian Consulate office in San Francisco a day after the United States demanded Russia to shut down its Consulate General in San Francisco and two other diplomatic facilities in New York City and Washington, DC by September 2.

The San Francisco Fire Department (SFFD) promptly responded to the reports of the fire and later informed that it was a fire alarm, not fire.

"MEDIA! The Russian embassy had a fire alarm NOT A FIRE everything is okay and we are clearing Thank you," tweeted the SFFD.

Terming this demand for closure by the US authorities a "direct threat to the security of Russian citizens," the Russian Foreign Ministry said , "Alongside, yet another raid on expensive objects of Russian state property, which [the US] has blocked and are now persistently offering to put up on sale."

The US special services plan to execute a search at the Russian Consulate General in San Francisco on September 2, said the Russian Foreign Ministry on Friday (September 1).

According to them, this search will include the apartments of diplomatic missions.

"US special services are intending to search the San Francisco Consulate General on September 2, including apartments of the staff members who live in the building and have immunity," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said, as quoted by Sputnik.

Zakharova added that the Russian personnel were told to leave the premises for 10-12 hours "so that they are not in the way of FBI agents," which according to her "is intrusion into a consul's establishment and homes of diplomatic staff."

FBI agents are poised to conduct the search, Zakharova said, noting that the searches directly compromise the workers' diplomatic immunity.

On Thursday (August 31), the United States demanded that Russia shut down its Consulate General in San Francisco and two other diplomatic facilities in New York City and Washington, DC by September 2.

Commenting on the closure of Russia's diplomatic facilities in the US, Zakharova said, it "represents a new gross violation of international law, including US obligations under the Vienna Conventions on diplomatic and consular relations," adding that it undermines the potential for bilateral cooperation, including on urgent international issues.

Zakharova further said that Moscow strongly opposes the US State Department's decision to close down three Russian diplomatic compounds in the US.