May 21, 2007 -- SJFD Tier 4 Response

Monday afternoon (May 21, 2007 @ approx. 12:30), John Whiteside responded in Support Unit 2 to a Tier 4 on Communications Hill, 547 Adeline, near Communications Hill Blvd. and Hillsdale Ave. Also on scene were FASCV members Fred Oehm and Mike Chappell. SJFD responded with Engine 13, Water Tender 13, and B-13 (first units on scene) along with Engine 18, Water Tender 18 and help from CalFire and 2 copters. Also reported on scene were Engine 12, Brush Patrol 12, Engine 19 and all the stations with wild fire type engines, because it was a Tier 4.

This fire was a significant challenge as winds had just begun to kick up and humidities dropped rapidly. It was all flashy fuels that burned rapidly requiring a lot of resources to be thrown into structure protection. In the end, SJFD and CalFire did an excellent job of curbing this blaze. The fire was estimated to be 25 to 30 acres in size.

Additional information can be found here on the SJFD Informational Blog and an amateur video of the fire can be seen by clicking on this YouTube link:
Fire - Communications Hill.

-- Thanks to FASCV President John Whiteside, SJFD Photog. Craig Rose and SJ Fire Explorer Captain Kenny Needham for their input