Two Structures Gutted, One Home Partially Destroyed by Fires

Fires happened within an hour of each other, firefighters say
windy, dry weather could have been factor
 
Morgan Hill – After a relatively quiet fire season, two structure fires Thursday were a grim reminder that the season is not over and that dry, windy conditions are perfect for infernos to quickly spread. 

There were no injuries in either blaze.

Two outbuildings of a home on Calle Cielo off Watsonville Road in unincorporated Morgan Hill were gutted, but the main part of the one-story home was saved. 

The homeowner, who identified himself only as Jerry, declined comment.

“I just want to relax, I have been very nervous; I’ve lost a lot of antiques, a lot of things, and I don’t want to talk now,” he said, distraught.

He said he and family members left the home when someone knocked on their door to tell them about the fire.

California Department of Forestry (CDF) Battalion Chief Ken McGeever said the cause of the 12:06pm blaze had not been determined, though the fire appeared to have started in the garage or the barn at the rear of the home. Both structures were completely destroyed; a rear portion of the residence was damaged, but the main part of the home was saved. The fire was contained within 45 minutes.

“The winds were very light today; I think that worked in our favor,” McGeever said. 

Wednesday, dry and windy conditions in the Bay Area prompted a high fire danger alert from the National Weather Service through Thursday morning, ending just before the blaze broke out.

A total of 60 firefighters from South Santa Clara County Fire Department, Santa Clara County Fire Department, CDF and Gilroy Fire Department originally responded to the blaze, McGeever said, but the number was later reduced to 20 to 25. Two air tankers responded, in case the surrounding vegetation was threatened, but were not needed; one CDF helicopter was used.

The second fire Thursday started at 1:15pm across the valley at 15710 Oakridge Road in the Jackson Oaks area in east Morgan Hill. The fire also was contained in about 45 minutes.

While it is clear the fire started in the rear of the home, acting Battalion Chief Steve Prziborowski said the exact location had not been pinpointed, and the cause is under investigation.

No one was home at the time of the fire, and there were no pets in the house. 

Homeowner Nan Dimartini said she felt very fortunate that she and her husband were not at home at the time. She said she wasn’t sure yet how she felt.

“Someone asked me how I was doing, what I was thinking, and I told them I don’t think I’m worrying about what I’m cooking for dinner tonight,” she said.

About 30 firefighters responded – some who had been at the Calle Cielo fire – and 13 pieces of equipment were used to battle the latter blaze, Prziborowski said. 

“It looks like it started somewhere at the back of the house and spread up to the attic,” he said. “We responded as quickly as we could, getting those engines up these hills and around these curves, but I think we were fortunate. Everything is so dry, there’s no humidity.”

Fire investigators are still determining the extent of the damage caused by the fires and their cause.