A black-and-white historical photograph depicts the skeletal remains of a multi-story building following a fire. The structure is reduced to its charred wooden and masonry frame, with the roof completely missing and several interior vertical beams standing exposed against the sky. Through the empty window frames and open gaps of the ruins, another large building with a rounded, domed roof is visible in the distance. In front of the ruins, a light-colored rectangular sign is posted, bearing the handwritten text: "Miles Bros. Temporary Office, 1140 Mission St." The foreground consists of a wide, debris-strewn street or lot with rough, uneven ground. Multiple overhead utility wires crisscross the upper portion of the frame, and a tall, dark pole stands to the left of the central ruin. The left side of the image features a vertical, translucent streak or distortion, likely a result of damage to the original photographic negative.