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| Photo By John Whitaker |
On Thursday morning, February 27, at 12:43 A.M., Fire Associates was called for a fire in San Jose. Located at 164 Chynoweth Ave. in the southern part of the city, the fire was burning in a 4-plex apartment unit. Firefighters who were first to arrive found that a carport fire had spread up the rear of the structure and penetrated the attic space.
The fire began shortly after midnight and involved two vehicles and all 4 of the two-story units. One of the challenges for firefighters was finding shelter for the displaced residents. The fire had begun during a very heavy rainstorm and keeping 18 people, including 8 children out of the elements was proving difficult. VTA was contacted and the agency provided an out-of-service bus to temporarily house the victims.
John Whiteside responded with Fire Support Unit 3 to the early morning request for Rehab assistance. He was joined on scene by FASCV members Bruce Dembecki, Don Gilbert, and John Whitaker. Rehab was set up in the roadway on Chynoweth Ave., which had been closed off in both directions to traffic. Firefighters took full advantage of hot coffee and hot chocolate to help ward off the chills of a cold rainfall.
As these firefighting efforts were winding down, things were picking up near Morgan Hill. The full story about that incident can be read elsewhere in this blog (Hwy. 101 Accident), but the upshot is that FASCV members had to quickly dismantle the rehab area in San Jose, pack up, and respond to a freeway accident on southbound Hwy. 101.
- John's photos can be viewed at this link: San Jose 4-Plex Fire
- A KTVU.com news story (with video) can be read at: Townhouse Fire
- A San Jose Mercury News story can be read at: 18 People Displaced
