Firefighters Stop Flames That Threatened Historic Home

Firefighters from Gilroy and the neighboring fire district rushed to put out a small fire Monday morning that, if left unchecked, could have quickly consumed a 141-year-old home near the Gilroy Golf Course on Hecker Pass, according to Battalion Chief Phil King. 

”From our standpoint, it is a very rapidly burning kind of building,” said King.

Built in the 1870s, the home featured a “balloon frame” construction that predated the fire codes of 1933, the chief said.

A caller reported the fire at 9:15 a.m. The first unit arrived on the scene five minutes later, ultimately joined by two more engines from Gilroy and an engine from the South Santa Clara County fire district.

“When we get a fire like that, we tend to frontload it with more resources,” said King.

Investigators determined that the fire began in the home’s old-style wood-burning stove, climbing up the flue and threatening the attic above.

Firefighters cleared the scene by 10:20 a.m., and there were no injuries.

“It turned out to be a pretty minor fire,” said King. “It was more of a potential problem … but a big potential problem.”