5-Acre Grass Fire Challenges Firefighters in San Jose

   
Early on the afternoon of Monday, June 20, San Jose Fire dispatched units to a vegetation fire on Quimby Road, at Ranch Road. The location was at the very top of Quimby Road, in the City's eastern foothills.  
 
Very quickly, based upon the smoke column seen from the valley floor, San Jose units requested a Tier 2 response, which dispatches Fire Associates. John Whiteside met Don Gilbert at Station 6 to take Fire Support Unit #2. They were met on scene by George Hoyt and guest Daniel Capostagno. The fire was determined to be in Cal Fire's response area which resulted in a medium wildland response from that agency.
   
The fire was burning on a very steep, west-facing hillside used for grazing along the north side of Quimby Rd. The easterly side of the hill drops down into the county’s Grant Ranch Park and Mt. Hamilton Road. A driveway to a farm house at the top of the hill allowed access for units to reach the head of the fire and stop the progress. The fire was contained at 5.2 acres.
   
Aircraft were not utilized due to power lines crossing the scene. Among the units dispatched by San Jose and Cal Fire were 2 water tenders, 8 engines, 4 brush patrols, and 6 Cal Fire wildland engines, along with 2 dozers, and 2 hand crews. FSU-2 was released at 3:15 P.M.
    
-- Report submitted by John Whiteside