A little after midnight on Friday, July 11, I was awakened by the sound of sirens from many fire engines and a call from a neighbor, saying, “You’re OK, but you need to get out of your house, now. The barn next to you is on fire.” Christina was coming home from work and quickly called 911 as soon as she saw the plume of smoke in the night air.
Safely outside, I saw three fire engines, with lights glaring, dominating my small country road. A sheriff’s car was in front of my house. Engine 69 from Treehaven was the first on scene and the battalion chief and water tender came from Masten (68).
I walked to the corner of Burchell, where my neighbor lives who owns the barn that was engulfed in flames. What I saw aligning Burchell Road were Engines 67 and 667 from Morgan Hill Vineyard Station, two engines from Gilroy (47 and 49) and another Battalion Chief from Gilroy.
Hazardous Materials and Breathing Support was also there from Seven Springs Station (72) in Cupertino.
Beginning July 1, my area of Gilroy no longer has coverage from Cal Fire as in the past. Santa Clara County Supervisors and LAFCO approved the dissolution of South Santa Clara County Fire District to consolidate fire protection services in unincorporated areas to the Santa Clara County Central Fire District.
This was a change I was concerned about because the TreeHaven station (69) is logistically located just two miles away at Gilroy Gardens. My neighborhood friends and families have been familiar with seeing this crew respond promptly to medical and fire calls in our area and I was not sure how response times would be impacted when Santa Clara County Fire District will cover the unincorporated areas throughout the county, as far north as Los Altos and south to Gilroy.
I was pleasantly surprised to see how the collaboration that early morning prevented the loss to any other structures or animals.
While still cautious about a proposed ballot initiative to increase property taxes to cover costs, I want to vocally change my position on this consolidation. Not only was the fire contained to just the barn, the firefighters were professional and courteous, and two engines stayed on sight until 4am confirming there would be no flare ups.
The following day, two engines from station 69 cruised the street in the morning and early evening to check on things. I am grateful to all those that handled the situation promptly and completely.
Be blessed, stay safe gentlemen, and thank you for your service!
Susan Mister
Gilroy
I certainly hope they are up to the task. CalFire left big shoes to fill.
Thank you for sharing your experience.
Conflict of Interest:
Don’t let these county fire tactics fool you…
A recent letter published in the Gilroy Dispatch titled “County Fire Shows It Is Up to the Task” — authored by Susan Meister — raises serious concerns about transparency and credibility.
What the public wasn’t told is that Susan Meister is the mother-in-law of Santa Clara County Fire Battalion Chief Skylar Thornton. This important fact was omitted, leaving readers to believe the praise came from an impartial community member. It did not.
This type of coordinated messaging, where family members of high-ranking officials publicly applaud the agency’s work without disclosing their connection, undermines public trust and borders on manipulation.
The residents of Gilroy deserve honesty, not smoke and mirrors. If Santa Clara County Fire is truly “up to the task,” they shouldn’t need help from relatives to shape public opinion.
Susan was critical of the annexation, spoke out against it, and wrote letters of opposition towards it. The fact that she now has experienced how they handle an emergency and decided to write about the positive experience should be applauded.
Craig, the concern here is about transparency and credibility when it comes to influencing public opinion.
Yes, Susan signed her name and said she lives in the district served, but what she didn’t disclose is that she’s the mother-in-law of a Battalion Chief at Santa Clara County Fire. That’s a key piece of context that changes how her words are perceived, especially in the middle of politically sensitive fire service times for south county.
The issue isn’t whether she has the right to voice support, of course she does. The issue is whether the public has the full story when reading her letter, which is carefully crafted full of fire service jargon that is clearly edited by someone with some fire service insight.
When close family of high ranking officials write glowing reviews without disclosing that relationship, it gives the appearance of coordinated messaging, whether intentional or not.
Accountability and ethics matter, especially in public safety. This isn’t a conspiracy, it’s a call for honesty when reputations and taxpayer decisions are on the line.
Let’s keep the conversation focused on facts… South county deserves better than these games.