Tracy Fire Thinned Local Resources Before Tuesday Flareup

Firefighting resources were spread thin Tuesday when winds carried a brush fire over the Southern Pacific railroad tracks and into a cluster of trees near the 7700 block of Monterey Street, according to Gilroy Fire Capt. Joshua Valverde.

A fire that day in Tracy, in the Central Valley, drew away resources from agencies surrounding Gilroy, leaving three city engines to fight a flareup that would normally summon greater aid from Morgan Hill’s fire agency and the rural CalFire.

“A simple fire like that can go through our resources fast,” said the captain.

Three Gilroy engines responded to the call at 5:45 p.m., arriving to find three trees already on fire and flames spreading toward homes and Rebekah Children’s Services on I.O.O.F. Avenue, said Valverde.

Two engines from the South Santa Clara County Fire Protection District were automatically dispatched to help, with one briefly covering both Gilroy and Morgan Hill.

Firefighters had to do without the off-road-specific “type 3” engines that were assigned to the Tracy incident and would have allowed them to get closer to the brush fire, said the captain.

Despite relying on the largely street-bound “type 1” engines, responders were able to bring the flames under control within minutes without any structural damage. Firefighters spent approximately two hours making sure that the surrounding brush was cooled and would not reignite, he said.

Valverde said the response was a measure of what Gilroy could expect when faraway fires take resources away from the agencies that share mutual-aid agreements with the city.

Gilroy shares mutual-aid agreements with surrounding fire agencies, joining forces in large-scale fire and medical emergencies. Agreements also exist throughout the state for severe wildland fires and other incidents.