On Friday, April 6, at about 7:15 P.M., John Whiteside was finishing dinner at home and monitoring his scanner when he heard San Jose Fire dispatch to a structure fire. The fire had been reported by several telephone callers to be on Payne Avenue near San Tomas Aquino Road, in west San Jose. The location is around a long, curving corner block and behind San Jose Station 14.
A responding fire rig reported heavy smoke visible, under pressure, and 2nd alarm was requested and dispatched. The location, at 4250 Payne, was a four-plex apartment located in an apartment complex. With exposures, a 3rd alarm was requested, which is the usual trigger for a Fire Associates response in San Jose.
John notified the answering service for the page out, and headed for Fire Support Unit 2. At 7:45 P.M., he departed San Jose Station 6 with FSU 2 and arrived on scene about 8:00 P.M.
Quick work by the initial fire units had contained the fire, and the 3rd alarm was released from staging. Soon, John was joined by FASCV vice president Jerry Haag and Walter Huber (guest). Coffee, hot chocolate, bottled drinks and Clif Bars were the favorite items dispensed. FSU #2 was released after 10:00 P.M. The Red Cross provided services for the displaced occupants.
- An impressive YouTube video is at: Payne Apartment Fire
-- Report submitted by John Whiteside
