At 5:30 A.M. on Friday morning, Mar. 19, the San Jose Fire Dept. called for support from Fire Associates. The fire was located at 1579 Keesling Ave., near the intersection of Hamilton and Meridian Ave. Don Gilbert responded in Support Unit 2.
SJFD Station 6, the home base for Support 2, was located approx. 4 miles away. Don could almost have announced, "Support Unit 2 enroute...and on scene!" He was joined by FASCV members John Whitaker, Mike Chappell, George Hoyt, and Jerry Haag.
The 2nd-alarm structure fire involved a single-story house that had a very high fuel load. Upon opening the garage door, firefighters were faced with a space stuffed to the rafters. Once inside the residence, firefighters found a similar heavy fuel load. The high fuel load, difficult access and a handicapped occupant necessitated the multiple alarms.
- John's photos can be viewed at: Keesling Ave. Fire
- A news article and photos from the West Coast 911 web site can be viewed at: 2-Alarm House Fire
