Tree limbs singed 40 feet high and charred antiques were a few
markers Monday morning of the blaze that claimed a three-story
Victorian house and historic barn that burned on a residence
property just outside southeast Gilroy.
Tree limbs singed 40 feet high and charred antiques were a few markers Monday morning of the blaze that claimed a three-story Victorian house and historic barn that burned on a residence property just outside southeast Gilroy.
Firefighters received a report of the fire about 7:30 p.m. Sunday at 1980 Hecker Pass Highway and arrived at the back of the heavily wooded property to find a fire raging in a barn. It had already spread to the nearby “old house” from the 1850s. The structures – which contained scores of antique tools, furniture and knickknacks – stood only 20 to 30 feet from two other houses on the property, where the owners live and were still present.
“We were pretty much in defensive mode,” CalFire battalion chief Eric Wood said.
Firefighters worked quickly to evacuate the residents and control the spread of the fire. It took a total of more than 30 firefighters from as far as San Jose until 10 p.m. to control the fire, though crews worked on putting out hot spots until after 2 a.m. During the course of the fire, trees were singed as far as 40 feet in the air.
On Monday morning, the back of the property was a charred mess. Two skeletons of cars were parked beside the destroyed structures, of which only the concrete base remained. Three kilns stood on the barn foundation, strewn with blackened antique farm equipment and power tools. Charred washing machines and a refrigerator stood on the house’s foundation and three front steps led to a nonexistent door.
“You’ll probably never be able to put a dollar figure on (the damage),” Wood said.
The barn contained effects of the elderly owner’s husband, who died recently, he said.
“The owners are in a state of shock,” he added. “They lost a lot of memories.”
An old truck, two outbuildings and two garden structures were damaged in the blaze.
Neither the owners nor neighbors were available for comment Monday.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, though county fire investigators have not found any evidence of arson, Wood said. Though they will continue to search through the rubble for the source of the fire, the conditions do not look favorable, he said.
“Given the extent and the amount of fire damage, we might never be able to definitively tell you what caused this fire,” he said.
