On Wednesday, July 8, Fire Associates was paged to Mountain View for a third-alarm fire. The following account was submitted by Jerry Haag:
Date: Wed., 08 July 2009
Time: 1010 Sonitrol dispatch, 1030 arrival, released at 1400.
Type: Structure fire
Size: Third alarm
Jurisdiction: Mountain View
Location: 400 Ortega Ave., Mountain View
Details: Three-story apartment building. Fire started on the first floor caused by plumber’s soldering torch. Fire got into vertical, concealed space and spread to third floor and roof space. Engine 1, first-in, took hand-paks to fire location and used the building standpipe. Engine 2, second-due, stretched two 2-1/2" lines to the FDC. Water supply was from a hydrant directly in front of the complex. Sprinklers did not activate because fire was confined to the unsprinklered concealed spaces. Three apartments, vertically stacked, were damaged. Only the apartment on the second floor had a tenant.
Fire units in attendance:
MTV: E-1,2,4,5, T-1, R-1, Batt. 18 (Acting B/C Trammel)
CNT: T-14, Batt. 14 (B/C Vega)
PAF: E-6, E-5, R-2, BS-2, Batt. 6 (B/C Broussard)
MOF: T-6
Overhead Support Team: Canceled enroute, but SJS D/C Dana Reid continued.
Responding FASCV Members: Larry Carr (driver), Jerry Haag; Guest: Bruce Dembecki
Fire Support Unit Responding: FSU-4
Remarks: Tea cup full of fire -- but hard to get at.
Submitted by: Jerry Haag
A news article from the Mountain View Voice can be viewed at this link: Ortega Building Evacuated
