A fire burned down a 75-year-old home north of Morgan Hill
Tuesday night, displacing a resident who had lived there about 50
years, according to South County Fire District officials.
A fire burned down a 75-year-old home north of Morgan Hill Tuesday night, displacing a resident who had lived there about 50 years, according to South County Fire District officials.
When the first engine arrived at the scene of the structure fire about 9 p.m., the house was about 90 percent involved in flames, Capt. Darren McMillen said. By the time the second truck arrived, the home on the 500 block of Live Oak Avenue was fully involved.
“The house and all its contents were completely lost,” McMillen said. He estimated the residence to be about 2,000 square feet in size.
Twelve engines and three water trucks were dispatched to battle the blaze from the South County district, Santa Clara County Fire Department, and San Jose Fire Department. Fire fighting personnel from the different agencies numbered 37, McMillen said.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
No damage was reported to surrounding structures, including nearby greenhouses adjacent to the property which is near the intersection of Hale Avenue. No injuries were reported.
The female resident of the home, a senior citizen, had been outdoors on the property before the fire started, McMillen said. When she went inside just before 9 p.m., she head the smoke detector going off and saw a haze of smoke in the air. She then went outside and called 911 from her cell phone.
“The smoke detector saved her life,” McMillen said.
Firefighters were able to put out the flames within a couple of hours Tuesday night, but some personnel returned the next day to conduct an investigation, which is ongoing. The incident was completely cleared by 1 p.m. Wednesday, McMillen said.
