FASCV Called to Thanksgiving Day Fire In San Jose

  

Photo By John Whitaker

There's a lot to be thankful for on Thanksgiving Day. One thing to add to your list for next year -- be thankful your residence didn't burn down on Thanksgiving Day.
  
That was not the case for several families in a San Jose condominium complex this past Thursday.
  
On Thanksgiving Day evening, at approximately 8:25 P.M., the San Jose Fire Department was called to 938 Willowleaf Drive for an attic fire. First-arriving fire crews reported flames were already through the roof. This prompted a quick call for a second alarm, followed by a request for a third alarm and mutual aid.
  
Fire Associates members also sprung into action. Don Gilbert responded to San Jose Station 6 to get Fire Support Unit 2, while John Whitaker and his son Jeff, who was visiting for the holiday, headed to the fire scene. They were later joined by FASCV members Dan Wong and George Hoyt. Upon arrival, a rehab area was quickly established on a lawn area adjacent to the involved structure.

Photo By John Whitaker

Initially, most of the fire was in the common attic space. As firefighters began with an interior attack, the flames spread down into the living space on the second floor of the townhouse unit. When the ceilings began to collapse, some of the drywall fell onto firefighters who were advancing up the interior staircase. Two firefighters were injured with one firefighter requiring hospitalization. A vacate order was quickly given and the operation moved into a defensive mode.
 
Although most firefighters were full of turkey and all the trimmings, they were still glad to have cold water, Gatorade, Clif bars and hot coffee available in Rehab. Rehab was in operation until most crews were released at approximately 11:00 P.M.

• A San Jose Mercury News story can be read at:  Firefighter Injured
     
• Craig Allyn Rose's photos can be viewed at:  Willowleaf Fire

-- Report submitted by John Whitaker
   

Mountain View Fire Dept. Calls for FASCV Assistance

  
Date and Time: 11-11-2012, 0353 hours
Agency: Mountain View
Incident Address: 722 Sonia Way, Mountain View
Type: Second alarm
  
Agency Responders:
MTV: E-1, 2, 3, 4, 5; T-1; R-1; IC-Batt. 18 (B/C Owen)
PAF: R-2, BS-2, Batt-6
MOF: T-6
  
Details: Small, single-story, frame dwelling. Heavily involved upon arrival of first unit. The single occupant, who was also the RP, self-evacuated on advice of dispatcher. He reportedly told the dispatcher he was trying to light his fireplace. It was a cold night.
  
FASCV Responding Unit: FSU-1. Arrived: 0430, released: 0555 hours.
FASCV Responders: Haag (driver), Green. 
  
-- Report submitted by Jerry Haag
  

FASCV Goes to 2nd Alarm Blaze in Santa Clara

  
Date and Time: 11-10-2012, 1452 hours
Agency: Santa Clara City
Incident Address: 2215 Capistrano Drive, Santa Clara
Type: Second alarm
  
Details: Large, two-story, frame dwelling. Good save, rebuildable.
  
FASCV Responding Unit: FSU-1. Arrived: 1545, released: 1900 hours.
FASCV Responders: Len (driver), Green, Haag, Walter Huber (Guest).
  
-- Report submitted by Jerry Haag
  

Saratoga Fire Escalates into A Second Alarm Incident

Photo By John Whitaker

A word to the wise: When doing your own re-roofing job, don't burn the old shingles in your outdoor fireplace.

This would have been good advice for the residents of a Saratoga house that burned on Wednesday, November 7. Just before 4:00 P.M., Fire Associates was paged by Santa Clara County Fire to a blaze at 14391 Quito Rd. First-arriving firefighters reported an active fire on the roof and the incident quickly went to a 2nd alarm. Sparks from the BBQ/incinerator had ignited the roof of the ranch-style home.

Responding for FASCV were John Whitaker and John Whiteside in Fire Support Unit 2. The Support Unit approached the scene from the south after negotiating a long, winding stretch of the narrow, mostly rural roadway lined with some exclusive homes. The FSU was met on scene by members Jerry Haag, George Hoyt and guest, Walter Huber.

Photo By John Whitaker

Firefighters were faced with several obstacles in reaching the fire. The sprawling, 3,800 square-foot residence was located up a narrow driveway and was well off the main street. County Engines 8 and 3 were positioned on the driveway with all other arriving units staged out on the street. This necessitated the arriving Sheriff's officers to completely block off the road to all non-emergency traffic.

Fortunately, a hydrant was located directly opposite the residence and a 5-inch supply line was snaked up the steep driveway to the two engine companies. Even with the efficient efforts of the fire crews on hand, damage was extensive to a majority of the structure's wood shake roof.

Rehab was set up at the base of the driveway on the property of an adjoining neighbor. With the quickly approaching darkness, and fire crews putting out the remaining hot spots, lighting the Rehab area was a first priority. All four of our FSU's scene lights were used, with one of the portable tripod lights used to remotely light a very dark stairway that lead down the hill from the home to the Rehab area.

The second priority was getting some cold water and Gatorade to hot and tired firefighters. This was done with the assistance of County EMS paramedics who helped to ferry the bottles of liquid up the hill. As the effort wound down into overhaul mode, crews were released into Rehab and burritos were provided as a hot meal. Fire Support Unit 2 was released after the last of the crews were fed and was back in quarters at approximately 8:30 P.M.

• John's photos can be viewed at:  Quito Road Blaze
     
• A San Jose Mercury News story can be read at:  Saratoga House Fire

-- Report submitted by John Whitaker
   

FASCV Members Attend Van Wormer Funeral

   

Photo By John Whitaker

On Saturday morning, November 3, several members of Fire Associates attended the funeral of Cal Fire Battalion Chief, Rob Van Wormer. Several FASCV members worked with Rob in the Volunteers In Prevention (VIP) program at the Morgan Hill headquarters of the Santa Clara Unit (SCU). The 47-year-old battalion chief died unexpectedly on Saturday evening, Oct. 27, while on assignment in Santa Cruz, CA. He was in Santa Cruz working on an investigation when he lost consciousness and was rushed to a local hospital.

Because of an expected large turn out from family, friends and members of dozens of fire services throughout the state, the funeral was held at the HP Pavilion in San Jose. FASCV members known to be attending the service were Bruce Dembecki, Mike Chappell, John Whitaker and John Whiteside. Our Fire Support Unit 2 was brought to join with dozens of fire rigs in attendance to show their support for the family and respect for a fellow firefighter.

The casket was brought to the service atop the San Jose Fire Museum's 1931 Mack fire engine. Its use was requested by the family through Cal Fire and the San Jose Fire Department. The funeral procession left Oak Hill Cemetery, traveled down Monterey Rd. and then proceeded through a gauntlet of fire rigs before entering the HP Pavilion. It was quite a memorable sight as all the rigs had their Code 3 lights activated and the fire crews were standing in salute.

We join with others to extend our deepest condolences to Rob's family, friends and everyone at Cal Fire. RIP Chief Van Wormer.

• John Whitaker's photos from the funeral can be viewed at:  Rob Van Wormer

-- Report submitted by John Whitaker

 

A Spell of 3-Fires-In-1-Day Livens Up October

 
After a period of no activity during the middle of the month of October, that all changed for Fire Associates members on Sunday, October 28. Read on...

San Jose Condos:

Photo By Craig Allyn Rose

   
The San Jose Fire Department was the first to request our aid. During the early morning hours, a fire broke out in a garage complex attached to a row of seven, two-story condominiums. The first-arriving engine company reported that a garage was on fire at 3131 Creekside Drive in San Jose's Berryessa neighborhood. By the time the fire crew had positioned the engine and deployed their hose lines, the single garage fire had spread to 3 garages. A second alarm was immediately called and the increasing inferno eventually grew into a 4-alarm event. Only the two end-unit condos and garages escaped fire damage, but all units experienced some water or smoke damage.

Fire Associates was paged at 8:02 A.M. John Whitaker had been listening on his emergency scanner and immediately responded in Fire Support Unit 2. He was joined on scene by Ron Green, George Hoyt and Mike Chappell. Because the narrow streets in the area were lined with parked cars, fire apparatus were filling the streets when FSU 2 arrived on scene. The Support Unit was positioned several hundred yards from the Rehab location and all food and beverages had to be walked to the location.


Photo By John Whitaker

As the firefighting efforts wound down, Rehab became a very busy place. All four portable, 6-man benches (ours and the two off SJFD Med 30) were quickly filled with tired firefighters. A folding table was set up to serve coffee and nutrition bars with the coffee being made at the Support Unit and then transferred into air pots.
  
John returned FSU 2 to quarters at Station 6 just before noon.

• John's photos can be viewed at:  Creekside Condo Fire
       
• Craig Allyn Rose's photos are at:  4-Alarm Blaze
   
• A San Jose Mercury News story can be read at:  Townhouses Damaged by Fire

 -- Report submitted by John Whitaker

   
San Jose House Fire:
    
The day's second call for assistance came at 9:32 P.M., just as the San Francisco Giants were wrapping up their World Series sweep of the Detroit Tigers.
    
A house was on fire on San Jose's east side...and the 3-alarm fire was threatening to spread to adjacent structures. John Whiteside responded in FSU 3 and submitted this report:
    
"I was watching TV as the local team was celebrating its World Series championship, and listening to my fire scanner. The San Jose Fire Department was fighting a residential fire in east-central San Jose at 10292 Murtha Drive at South White Road. As the fire escalated in alarm levels, I prepared to respond to the scene with a Fire Support Unit. When the third alarm trigger was reached, I notified Sonitrol, our answering service, for the response page and responded to SJS Station 35 to take FSU 3 to the scene -- going en route at 2130 hours.
  

At the scene, I was joined by members Bruce Dembecki, Ron Green, George Hoyt and guest, Walter Huber. Bottled water, Gatorade, lemonade and CLIF bars and were provided, as well as 2 folding bench sets for the firefighters in Rehab. Around 2300 hours, some fire units on scene were re-dispatched to a minor fire at a local high school. FSU 3 was released and returned to quarters by 2330 hours."

• A KTVU.com story can be read at:  10 Displaced in House Fire 

-- Report submitted by John Whiteside

 

San Jose's 3rd Fire:



Photo By Craig Allyn Rose

On Monday morning, October 29, the third multi-alarm fire in San Jose in less than 24 hours occurred in a large, abandoned structure.  Located at 19600 Almaden Road, the fire consumed the former home of the Almaden Valley Gymnastics Club. Don Gilbert felt that it was his turn to take a support unit, so he drove Fire Support Unit 2 to its second fire of the day.

 

The very large, concrete tilt up structure was fully ablaze when fire crews arrived. The building had been abandoned since the successful Club had been disbanded in 2006 after 32 years of existence. A San Jose City redevelopment sign out in front of the property stated that the lot was to be the site of several new, single-family homes. Firefighters began an interior attack on the fire, but retreated after reporting swimming pools and several water-filled landing pits inside the building. A master stream off Truck 13 was set up in front of the building and hose lines were extended along the sides of the fire towards the rear. Although the exterior walls were concrete, the wide open floor area was spanned by large timbers that provided fuel to the fire and threatened to collapse as the incident progressed.

Photo By John Whitaker

    

Fire Associates set up on the shoulder of Almaden Road, directly in front of the incident. It was a very foggy, fall morning and firefighters enjoyed several pots of hot coffee. As the morning commute traffic picked up in the area, Rehab was broken down at approximately 8:30 A.M.

• John's photos can be viewed at:  Gym Club Fire
     
• Craig Allyn Rose's photos are at:  Almaden Road Fire
    
• An NBC Bay Area news story can be read at:  Former Club Burns

-- Report submitted by John Whitaker

   

FASCV Provides Assistance at Sunnyvale Blaze

 
At approximately 1:10 P.M. on Saturday, October 13, FASCV President Bob Gundrum was departing a shopping center at the intersection of Lawrence Expressway and Lakehaven Drive in Sunnyvale. Not normally something we write about in this blog, but when he observed a large column of smoke rising above the shopping center, it became an item of interest.
 
As Bob described the scene, "...1017 Lakehaven, a single-level single-family dwelling, was 3 lots north of the (shopping center) driveway and the garage area was well involved as I drove past. Noticing a hydrant on the corner of Lakehaven and Lakemuir, I parked well clear of the hydrant."
  

Photo By David Thompson

Bob immediately set about to provide some logistical assistance to the arriving fire crews.
 
A phone discussion with long-time FASCV member Len Williams indicated that the organization had been requested from the field and that Len would be bringing the support unit. In the meantime, members Dan Wong and Jerry Haag arrived and provided water that they had in their personal vehicles. FSU 1 did arrive on the scene and provided Rehab assistance until it was released at 4:20 P.M.
 
Sunnyvale fire apparatus on the scene were:

Engines - 1, 2, 4, 40, 5, 6 and 60
Trucks - 1 and 2
Rescue - 2
IC - Lt. A.J. Berrien (Battalion 20)
 
A special call was made for Santa Clara City Fire - Rescue 2 (for breathing support).
 
FASCV Members present were: Ron Green, Bob Gundrum, Jerry Haag, George Hoyt, Mike Wagner, Len Williams, Dan Wong and Guest, Walter Huber.
 
-- Report submitted by Bob Gundrum
 

FASCV Joins Alisa Ann Ruch Burn Relay

   

  
“What was all that noise?” ...that’s what many San Francisco Bay Area residents must have been saying as a caravan of emergency vehicles made their way up the Peninsula on Thursday, October 4th.
 
With “Code 3” lights and sirens blaring, a fleet of approximately 20 antique, classic and in-service emergency response vehicles joined the 23rd Annual Peninsula Firefighters Burn Relay. The event benefited the Alisa Ann Ruch Burn Foundation (AARBF). The non-profit organization is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life of burn survivors and promoting burn prevention education in the community.

Fire Support Units 1 and 2 are lined up next to a
Moffet Field Fire Battalion Chief vehicle.

Along the relay route, the Burn Foundation collected donations raised by local fire and public safety agencies. Money was raised through personal donations and annual community events, including golf tournaments, pancake breakfasts and spaghetti dinners. Stops were made at 16 fire stations in Santa Clara, San Mateo and San Francisco Counties.

Starting at 8:30 A.M., members of fire departments and emergency response agencies worked their way up the Peninsula. The convoy started at the Moffett Field Fire Department and traveled nearly 40 miles north, ending at the San Francisco Fire Department Training Center at the corner of 19th and Folsom. Fire Associates was asked by event organizers to join this year’s relay to provide cold water and Gatorade to the events’ participants. In response to this request, Fire Support Units 1 and 2 joined in the activities.

During the day, a light breakfast was served at the Moffett Field Fire Department, mid-morning refreshments were provided at the Menlo Park Fire Department, lunch was served at Foster City Fire Station No. 28, an ice cream social was held at Colma Fire Station No. 85, and dinner was provided by the San Francisco Black Firefighters Organization.

Burn Relay Emergency Vehicles proceed up The El Camino.

By the end of the relay, $66,125 was raised to support the many programs of the Southern California-based organization. Programs benefiting from these funds include the Foundation’s annual week-long residential camp for child burn survivors, Champ Camp.

Alisa Ann Ruch was a young Southern California girl who was burned over 97% of her body and lived only 5 weeks in the hospital. Following her death in 1971, her mother joined with firefighters and medical professionals to create a foundation to prevent burn injuries by teaching "Stop, Drop and Roll." Since the Foundation started, other burn-related services have been added not only in Southern California, but Northern and Central California as well.

For more information on the organization, please visit http://aarbf.org.

• John Whitaker's photos of the event can be viewed at:  2012 Burn Foundation Relay

  

PayPal Added to Fire Associates Donation Options

  

You may have noticed a change to the left-hand column of the Fire Associates blog (when viewing on a computer).
 
Fire Associates has added a PayPal account to the available options for donating to our all-volunteer organization. Donors can now contribute to FASCV using a credit card through the PayPal link on our blog.
 
When on your computer, scroll down our blog page and you'll see the "Donate" button on the left. Mobile device viewers must scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the "View Web Version" link.
   
Give it a try, if you wish (we never turn down donations!).
  
As the donor, you will receive an e-mail confirming the details of the donation. This will serve as your tax record. Remember, FASCV is a non-profit, tax deductible organization per Federal tax code, Section 501(c)4.
 
As the PayPal client, FASCV will receive an e-mail notifying us of the donation and confirming the transfer of money to FASCV's checking account.
 
Thanks goes to our Blogmaster, John Whitaker and Treasurer, Cliff Smith for working on this donation option.
 

Firefighters Tackle A Structure Fire On A Very Hot Day

   

Photo By John Whitaker

The members of Fire Associates don't get too many requests for assistance at fires that involve small, detached sheds. But, on this very hot, hot, hot day, the 1:46 P.M. call for our help on Wednesday, Oct. 3 made perfect sense.
 
With temperatures hovering right around the 100-degree mark, the fire quickly spread to a near-by perimeter fence, power pole and palm tree. The fire involved structures behind two residences at 5180 and 5190 Leigh Ave. - near its intersection with Los Gatos Almaden Road.
    
John Whiteside was listening to the incident on his emergency scanner and called San Jose Fire Dispatch to see if FASCV could be of assistance in Rehab. The reply from the IC was "Yes", so John responded in Fire Support Unit 3 and then put out a page that he was going to the fire. Responding to that message were FASCV members George Hoyt and John Whitaker.
   

Photo By John Whitaker

Rehab was set up on Leigh Ave. just across the wide street from the fire's location. Before FSU-3 arrived, firefighters had already staked out a Rehab site on a lawn area under a large tree. The cool grass and adequate shade provided a perfect rest area for hot and weary crews. Cold water, lemonade and Gatorade were high on the list of priorities as rehydration became a primary concern. In addition to these liquids, firefighters also enjoyed some banana bread provided the the homeowner at the Rehab location.  
   
Complicating the overhaul process was the fire's proximity to Leigh High School. Located across the intersection from the fire, students were leaving the school shortly after the fire began and had to be steered around the rehab area. This, in addition to parents driving into the area to pick up their students, made traffic control a little more challenging than usual. Fire Associates members broke from their usual Rehab duties and assisted with the traffic situation.

FSU-3 was released from service at approximately 4:15 P.M.

• John Whitaker's photos can be viewed at:  Leigh Ave. Fire

-- Report Submitted By John Whitaker