On November 1, at about 10:30 A.M., South County Fire (CALFIRE) radio-paged CALFIRE Volunteer In Fire Prevention (VIP) and FASCV member John Whiteside requesting a Fire Support Unit response to a 2-alarm structure fire. The fire was in a rural, single-story ranch house at located 2545 Dunlap Ave., between Furlong Ave. and Ferguson Road, east of the Gilroy Outlets. It was an attic fire, requiring mutual aid from Gilroy, Santa Clara County and South County District with station coverage by San Jose.John contacted our paging service and the member page went out at 10:41 A.M. John responded from San Jose Station 35 with Fire Support Unit 3. He was met on scene by Ron Green, who happened to be in the area. Mike Chappell was already there with CALFIRE unit Supply 1610. John Whitaker arrived later. We provided drinks and Clif Bars to the firefighters.
Before John arrived with FSU 3 at about 11:20, the Fire District had another call -- an apparent brush fire miles away near the San Benito County line. Some fire rigs were freed up from the structure fire and additional CALFIRE, Santa Clara County, Gilroy and San Jose units were dispatched. It turned out to be a pile of debris and most rigs were soon released.
Then, just after 12:30 P.M., a brush fire was called in near Frazier Lake Road and Bloomfield Ave. -- again near the San Benito County line. The smoke was visible from our structure fire, with the smoke column building. Units were again released from the structure fire, with additional CALFIRE units from out of county dispatched along with an air tanker and Copter 901. Mike left for this fire in Supply 1610 with drinks. The fire grew to approximately 10 acres before being contained. FSU 3 was released from the structure fire at 13:01 P.M. and, not being needed for the brush fire, returned to quarters in San Jose.
-- Report by John Whiteside
-- Photos by John Whitaker
