February 13, 2007

Four-alarm blaze ravages building at Santa Teresa Apartment

Four-and-a-half hour fire displaces more than 150, no injuries reported

By Ali Abdollahi
Editor

A four-alarm fire raged more than four hours at the Santa Teresa Apartments on Feb. 7. Over 150 residents were displaced, but there were no injuries reported.

More than 100 firefighters battled a four-alarm blaze at the Santa Teresa Apartments on Feb. 7. Over 150 residents were displaced, but no injuries were reported.

The fire is believed to have broke out at approximately 4:15 p.m., according to San Jose Fire Captain Alberto Olmos, and was not declared under control until 8:45 p.m.

The four-alarm blaze brought out more than 100 firefighters and over 25 fire engines. The damage was confined to one building of the three-building structure.

The blaze at the complex, located at 6250 Santa Teresa Blvd., was already in an advanced stage by the time firefighters arrived on the scene, according to Olmos. “Upon arrival, (the first engine) reported heavy smoke and fire coming from the facade roof area,” said Olmos. “Firefighters then made an aggressive interior attack on the fire by taking hard-lines up the stairwell into the third floor.”

Officials said the fire apparently began in the front building, before rapidly spreading through the 50-unit structure.

Despite the aggressive initial attempt to battle the fire from inside the bulding, firefighters ultimately pulled out and had to confront the blaze from the outside due to the risk of the building collapsing.

Despite the extensive structural damage that left the building unihabitable, firefighters and helpful residents were able to evacuate everyone in the building, and even saved a number of pets from the blaze.

“As engine company firefighters were attempting to extinguish the attic fire, truck company firefighters were simultaneously going door-to-door evacuating residents from the building,” Olmos said.

Residents who needed emergency housing were transported by the Santa Clara Valley Transportation authority to the Southside Community Center, where the American Red Cross, city of San Jose and Santa Clara County Housing Departments provided emergency assistance. District 2 City Councilmember Forest Williams, San Jose Fire Chief Darryl Von Raesfeld and San Jose Police Chief Rob Davis were in attendance at the Community Center to support the displaced residents.

Firefighters remained on the scene of the blaze throughout the evening and into the next morning to monitor the building for additional flare-ups. As of press time, the cause of the fire was still under investigation.