Home Severely Damaged in 2-Alarm Moutain View Fire

     

Photo By Dan Wong

Date and Time: 03-16-2014, 2:30 A.M.

Agency: Mountain View Fire

Incident Address: 1747 Fordham Way, Mountain View

Type: Second Alarm

  

Details: Fire in medium-size, single-story, single-family dwelling. Occupants out of town. Fire got a good start before discovery. Severe damage.

 

Agency Responders:

 MTV: E-51, 52, 53, 54; T-51; R-51; B-51 (Alameda, IC)

 CNT: E-76, B-74

 PAF: BS-64

  

FASCV Responding Unit: FSU-4. Arrived: 0300; Released 0445.

FASCV Responders: Larry Carr (driver), Jerry Haag, Dan Wong, and Randy Wong (guest).

• Dan Wong's photos can be viewed at:  Fordham Rd. Fire
    
• A KPIX5 news video can be viewed at:  Fordham Rd. Video Report

-- Report submitted by Jerry Haag

Santa Clara City Firefighters Attack 2-Alarm House Fire

 

Photo By Craig Allyn Rose

Date and Time: 03-13-2014, 1:30 P.M.
Agency: Santa Clara City Fire
Incident Address: 2166 Quinn Ct., Santa Clara
Type: Second Alarm
   
Details: Fire in medium-size, single-story, single-family dwelling. Bright, sunny day. Shade canopy, lemonade and cold towels were welcomed by the firefighters. Since many had not eaten, the Clif Bars and cookies also disappeared quickly. 
   
Agency Responders:
SNC: E-90, 91, 93; T-192; R-92; HM-99; B-1 (Merrick, IC)
   
FASCV Responding Unit: FSU-1. Arrived: 2:00 P.M.; Released 4:30 P.M.
FASCV Responders: Jerry Haag (driver), Larry Carr and Dan Wong.
  
-- Report submitted by Jerry Haag

Second-Alarm Fire In Mountain View Apartment

 

Date and Time: 03-06-2014, 2:35 P.M.

Agency: Mountain View Fire
Incident Address: 880 Park Dr., Mountain View
Type: Second Alarm 

  
Details: Fire in second floor unit of two-story, multi-family apartment building. 
   

FASCV Responding Units: FSU-4. Arrived: 3:00 P.M.; Released upon arrival.
FASCV Responders: Larry Carr (driver), Jerry Haag, and Dan Wong.

   

-- Report submitted by Jerry Haag

2-Alarm Almaden Valley House Fire Causes Yet Another FASCV Response

 

Photo By John Whitaker

A string of unrelated house fires and garage fires seems to be continuing in the Santa Clara Valley.

On Monday, March 3, firefighters were yet again summoned to a garage fire. Located at 6029 Burchell Ct. in the Almaden Valley area of San Jose, a garage was fully engulfed by the time the first-arriving rigs got on scene. Flames were rolling out of the garage door and smoke was reported coming out of the eaves on all 4 sides of the structure.

Not helping matters was the fact that the fire was being fueled by leaking gasoline cans. Firefighters had to deal with the burning fuel that was running down the driveway and burning in the street gutter in front of the structure. Also of immediate importance was structure protection for the house next door on the "Delta" side of the blaze. In addition, the driveway was occupied by a Dodge pick-up truck with a dirt bike in its bed, a Harley-Davidson-type motorcycle, a quad cycle, and a jet ski on a small trailer.

Photo Courtesy of the San Jose Fire Dept.

A collapsed, tile roof over the garage made the fire difficult to fight and increased the time needed for overhaul. During the overhaul, fire crews were kept busy dealing with the smoldering underlayment beneath the Spanish tiles and putting foam on the remaining, unburned fuel.

At 10:10 A.M., a call was made for Fire Associates assistance as it was clear that the long overhaul process would be extending into the lunch hour. Don Gilbert and John Whiteside quickly went to SJS Station 6 and got Fire Support Unit 2, while John Whitaker responded to the fire scene. Once on scene, John consulted with San Jose's Med 30 and the IC to scout out an area for Rehab. A location was identified in the street to the left of the involved structure and FSU-2 was easily located there when it arrived. By lunch time, two large boxes of burritos arrived for the hungry crews and FASCV helped to serve the meal. FSU-2 was released from the scene at approximately 12:45 P.M.

• John's photos can be viewed at:  Burchell Ct. Fire
    
• A KTVU.com news story can be read at:  2-Alarm Almaden Fire

  -- Report submitted by John Whitaker

Fire Associates Responds to 2-Alarm House Fire in Santa Clara

  
Date and Time: 03-02-2014, 1:15 P.M.
Agency: Santa Clara City Fire
Incident Address: 1667 Jackson St., Santa Clara
Type: Second Alarm
 
Details: Fire in a two-story, two-family dwelling with basement. Fire originated in the basement and quickly spread up within the walls (balloon construction) threatening the upper stories. Great stop made. Building is recoverable.
   
Agency Responders:
    SNC: E-90, 91, 93, 94, 95, 97; T-92, 98; R-92; HM-99; XSC Med-13; Batt. 92
    SJS: Station coverage
FASCV Responding Units: FSU-1. Arrived: 1:45 P.M.; Released: 3:30 P.M.
FASCV Responders: Bob Gundrum (driver) with Jerry Haag, George Hoyt, and Dan Wong.
 
-- Report submitted by Jerry Haag

Tanker Truck Accident Closes Lanes of Hwy. 101 Near Morgan Hill

   

Photo By John Whitaker

As a Fire Associates member, one never knows what to expect when called to an incident. That was certainly the case on Thursday morning, February 27!

   

FASCV members were already on the scene of an early-morning 3-alarm fire in San Jose (see story elsewhere in this blog), when the emergency radio crackled with a request for FASCV in Morgan Hill. The Morgan Hill Fire Department had been dispatched to an overturned gasoline tanker on southbound Hwy .101. Located between Tennant Ave. and San Martin Ave., the tanker was fully loaded with gasoline (8,500 gallons) and in a ditch on the right-hand shoulder of the freeway. And, worst of all, the commute hour would soon be approaching and it was is leaking! 

   

The accident occurred shortly after 1:00 A.M. when a driver lost control of his car and spun into the tanker truck and trailer. The big rig jack-knifed and slid off the roadway. After arriving on scene, Morgan Hill Fire and the CHP quickly established the "101 IC" joint command.

   

After  assessing the situation, the IC called for the Santa Clara County Fire Department Hazmat task force along with assistance from Cal Fire and the Gilroy Fire Department who were also called to the scene. As the event progressed, it became obvious that the incident was going to last through the morning hours, so Fire Associates was requested.

    
Fortunately, Fire Support Unit 3 was close to wrapping up operations at their previous call in San Jose. With the seriousness of the Morgan Hill incident becoming clear, Fire Support Unit 3 was released from responsibilities at San Jose's 3-alarm fire and responded to the 101 incident. John Whiteside drove FSU-3 to the scene, with John Whitaker following in his private vehicle. Don Gilbert also left the San Jose fire in his vehicle and stopped en route to pick up 3-dozen donuts. Rehab was establish in the fast lane of the freeway where Santa Clara County fire had already set up their portable shelter (did we mention it was raining?) and benches. John Whiteside parked FSU-3 at that location and FASCV members provided an additional portable shelter, hot beverages, donuts, and breakfast service. It's not often that Rehab is set up in the lanes of a freeway!

    

Photo By John Whitaker

Rehab support was in great demand throughout the morning. There were not only representatives from the previously mentioned fire agencies, there were also representatives and workers from: the Morgan Hill Police Dept., Calif. Dept. of Fish and Game, Cal Trans, Gilroy OES, several different tow companies, and representatives from the tanker truck's owners. And, all of them were served in Rehab at one time or another.

    

During the clean-up operation, Hwy. 101 was completely closed in the southbound direction and the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Dept. conducted evacuations in the neighborhood nearest the freeway. The CHP arranged for another tanker to come and pump out what fuel they could from the tandem-trailer truck before any attempt could be made to remove it from the freeway.
    
After the fuel tanks of the tanker had been safely emptied (about a 2-hour operation), the CHP was anxious to open up one southbound lane. So, all personnel who were not directly connected to the salvage operation were asked to leave the scene. Two lanes of the freeway were to remain closed so that the big rig tow companies could remove the wreckage. Fire Associates was one of those organizations who services were no longer needed, so rehab was disbanded at approximately 9:00 A.M. 

• John Whitaker's photos can be viewed at:  Tanker Truck Accident
      
• An ABC7 News video of the accident can be viewed at:  Hwy. 101 Accident
      
• A San Jose Mercury News story can be read at:  Accident Closes Freeway
     
• A KTVU Channel 2 video of the fuel clean-up can be viewed at:  Clean Up of Fuel Spill 

-- Report submitted by John Whitaker

3-Alarm Townhouse Fire Challenges Firefighters In San Jose

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

-- Report submitted by John Whitaker

FASCV Responds to Early Morning Fire In Cupertino

 

Date and Time: 02-25-2014, 12:15 A.M.
Agency: Santa Clara County Fire
Type: Second Alarm
Incident Address: 8093 Presidio Dr., Cupertino
 
Details: Fire in two-story, single-family dwelling. Fire, apparently of electrical origin, was in the attached garage. It quickly penetrated the roof of the garage and spread to second floor and attic space of the house.
  
Agency Responders:
CNT: E-71, 72, 76, 77, 79; T-71; R-73, 74, 83; HM-72; BS-72; Battalions. 72, 74; (IC-Vega)
 
FASCV Responding Units: FSU-1. Arrived: 1:00 A.M., Released: 5:15 A.M.
FASCV Responders: Jerry Haag (driver), Bruce Dembecki
 
-- Report submitted by Jerry Haag

Repeat Visit To Fire at Sunnyvale Address

  
Date and Time: Sunday, 02-16-2013, 1:15 A.M.
Agency: Sunnyvale Public Safety
Incident Address: 777 Dunkerdene Way, Sunnyvale
Type: Second Alarm
 
Details: Fire in single-story, single-family dwelling under construction. If this address seems familiar, this was the third fire at this address in last two years. The previous fires were on July 2, 2013 and Feb. 23, 2012. Light rain forced use of a pop-up canopy. Fire personnel under Rehabilitation and Medical Surveillance had a dry place to sit.
 
Agency Responders:
SNY: E-41, 42, 43, 44, 244, 45; T-41, 42; R-42; XSC Med 33; Batt. 2 (IC-Rushmeyer)
MTV: Station fill
 
FASCV Responding Units: FSU-1. Released: 5:15 A.M.
FASCV Responders: Jerry Haag (driver), Dan Wong, and Mike Garcia (guest).
 
-- Report submitted by Jerry Haag

Roof Collapse Results In A Unique Call for Firefighters and FASCV

   

Photo By John Whitaker

When San Jose firefighters answered a call for a water flow alarm at 1480 Nicora Ave., they expected to find it to be a false alarm or, at worst, a broken fire sprinkler head. The didn't imagine what they actually found!
    
A large portion of a warehouse roof had collapsed which resulted in a lot of broken sprinkler pipes and, hence, the water flow alarm. Arriving fire crews found a major portion of the approximately 200 x 400 square foot, wooden truss roof on the ground. Since the IC didn't know whether anyone had been inside the structure or whether its contents were hazardous, the equivalent of a second alarm was called as a Hazmat team and the SJFD USAR units were all called into action. Since it was nearly impossible to see under the rubble, a request was also made for search dogs to be brought to the incident.
  
The initial call came in to Dispatch at 5:03 P.M. and Fire Associates was requested approximately an hour later. Bruce Dembecki arrived in Fire Support Unit 2 and he was met on scene by John Whitaker and Kenny Needham (guest).  Later on, John Whiteside arrived in Fire Support Unit 3. Two support units were not required on scene, but John needed to transfer some supplies from one rig to another and this was a convenient location to restock the rigs.
 
As the search continued, it was thought that meals would have to be provided to firefighters who hadn't yet had their dinner. Rehab was set up in a corner of the property and firefighters who were waiting for the dogs to finish their search took advantage of the coffee, Gatorade, and Clif Bars that were available. The search went quicker that expected and no victims were found in the building. As it turned out, the building had been empty for a long time and was being offered for sale.
  
While the dogs were making their search, several FASCV members were invited to come closer to the building and watch the search operation. There were 3 dog teams conducting the search -- one from the Santa Clara Sheriff's Department and two dogs from FEMA Task Force 3, based in San Mateo County.

As it turn out, no victims were found in the structure, but that didn't satisfy the dogs. The dogs are trained to find a victim and they are not "happy" if they don't finish their task. One of the handlers asked FASCV member John Whitaker if he wouldn't mind going into a dark corner of the property, curling up, and letting the dog's "find" him. Being pressed into service as a "victim" was a little unique for someone who's usually brewing pots of coffee and handing out sandwiches! John did as instructed -- letting the dogs each find him, allowing them to bark at him loudly, and then rewarding the dog with a chew toy. It was all in a day's work! FSUs-2 and 3 were released from the scene and put back into service at approximately 9:00 P.M.

• A news story from CBSlocal.com can be read at:  Roof Collapse

-- Report submitted by John Whitaker