The 21-year-old driver of the Toyota was briefly trapped in the vehicle and was taken to Duke University hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. One medic in the ambulance was also taken to a hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.

But construction costs have ratcheted up to nearly $1,072 a square foot, up from $680 a square foot when they first began planning a year or so ago, said Fire Chief John Healy.

"With the global economy and disasters in the world, the cost of construction outweighed our ability to build that larger building," Healy said, later adding the station near the busy State Route 92 serves an important role. "This station being located in the center of the city is a very important part of the overall response because it can go north, south, east and west easily. And it will maintain the response times our citizens have become accustomed to and expect. So it's a very important part of our fire delivery service to the community."

A decision on the building's size is ultimately up to the City Council, which meets Monday, Nov. 3, to review preliminary options that include an 8,920-square-foot facility estimated to cost $9.1 million, or a more modest 4,493-square-foot station with a $6.2 million price tag, according to a staff report.

Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White said the engine captain at Station 9 on Jerrold Street in the Bayview cited the truck's tread-poor tires as the reason for not joining four other San Francisco strike teams rushing to Santa Rosa to battle the deadly Tubbs Fire early Oct. 9. A truck from Berkeley went in its place.

The next day, inspectors examined the truck's tires and found some wear and tear. "Three of them were replaced as a precaution," Hayes-White said.

What's not clear is why a truck whose tires were unsafe to roll to a fire had been left in operation. The trucks are required to be checked daily. Crews are also required to fill out daily inspection reports that should have signaled the tire problem.