Remnants of the abandoned Gilroy Community Garden in downtown Gilroy went up in flames late Monday afternoon, Oct. 14, briefly threatening nearby homes and businesses.
Fortunately, a northeasterly breeze, which had fanned the initial flames of the 4:30pm blaze, pushed the fire and dense smoke towards a vacant lot at Eigleberry and Fifth streets, and Gilroy firefighters moved quickly to douse the flames. Nearby businesses and houses suffered no damage.
The cause of the fire was not determined.
The once-lush garden on city-owned property was closed early this year, in anticipation of a city parking lot that has yet to appear. Dried up vegetables, weeds, shrubs and fruit and ornamental trees provided ample kindling for the flash fire.
