GILROY
– Fire destroyed a workshop in rural San Martin Wednesday
afternoon, threatening a home, fields and livestock penned
nearby.
GILROY – Fire destroyed a workshop in rural San Martin Wednesday afternoon, threatening a home, fields and livestock penned nearby.
Eleven-year-old Mark Weber, who lives on the property located near Seymour Avenue and Mission, raised the alarm when flames interrupted his homework at about 2:20 p.m.
“I was just doing my homework, and I looked out my window because I heard some crackling,” Weber said. “I saw fire on the edge of my (skateboard) ramp, and then it caught the tree on fire and then it burned the shop.”
The shop belonged to Weber’s grandfather, Terry Hubbs, owner of Chaparral Signs, and served as a woodworking and paint shop.
Flames were threatening one of two houses located on the property when fire crews arrived, said Bart Kriek, South Santa Clara County Fire battalion chief. Fire personnel were able to secure the house and quickly tried to determine what exactly was stored in Hubbs’ 30-by-30 foot workshop.
“There was some concern at the start about what types of chemicals would be in there,” Kriek said. “Especially when it comes to garages … we don’t know if there would be containers in there that could heat up and explode.”
The workshop, about the size of a two-car garage, contained wood, paint, vinyl and some solvents, such as paint thinners. Large bursts of flames could be seen as the chemicals heated up and overflowed their containers.
Gusty winds from the northwest did not help, Kriek said, and it took firefighters about an hour to contain the fire.
The cause of the fire was still undetermined at press time and is under investigation.
“We haven’t made an exact determination yet,” Kriek said. “And I really don’t know if we’ll be able to, the destruction in the area was such that it might be difficult.”
The workshop was completely destroyed and an adjacent shed used as a recording studio was also severely damaged.
Engines from the Santa Clara County Fire Department and Gilroy Fire Department joined South Santa Clara County Fire crews. Because there are no fire hydrants in the area, the engines pumped additional water into one common source.
Hubbs could not immediately estimate the cost of the damage to his business and his property, but said he is insured.
“You don’t realize all the stuff that you have until it’s gone,” Hubbs said.
Hubbs lost about six projects in progress, supplies – including wood, paint and solvents – and nearly all his tools.
“So far as work goes, I can still make signs,” said Hubbs, who has lived at 14830 Seymour Ave. and owned Chaparral Signs for 40 years. “I just don’t have a place to do it.”
Hubbs’ son, Mike, had three motorcycles stored in the workshop and estimated that tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of equipment in the recording studio was destroyed.
Still, Hubbs felt fortunate that his family was safe.
“I’m glad to see none of the housing went and that everyone is OK,” he said.
Two neighboring properties, along with the owners’ goats and horses, were threatened as flames edged toward the southeast corner of Hubbs’ property. Rigo Sanchez, Hubb’s neighbor to the south, lost a large pile of firewood but little else was damaged, he said.
Hubbs and Sanchez both tried to contain the fire with garden hoses until fire crews arrived.
“It seemed like forever, but I’m sure it wasn’t,” Hubbs said. “I swear I heard the sirens coming for 10 minutes.”
Kriek said the first engine arrived on the scene in four minutes, coming from the Morgan Hill California Department of Forestry headquarters at 15670 Monterey Road, Morgan Hill. The South Santa Clara County Fire Department contracts with the CDF.
