Intense fire breaks out near auto repair shop
SAN JOSE >> Firefighters battled a four-alarm fire at an auto shop south of downtown San Jose amid windy conditions Tuesday afternoon, ultimately containing the blaze before it could spread to nearby businesses.
The flames were reported about 3 p.m. on the 1700 block of South 10th Street, said San Jose fire Capt. Brad Cloutier, adding that fire Chief Robert Sapien Jr. was the first to arrive at the scene.
“He reported that we had a fire pretty well involved in some pallets and tires behind the auto shop,” Cloutier said as a thick plume of smoke rose into the skies above the South Bay.
Crews joined Sapien and called for additional alarms as windy conditions threatened to push the blaze into neighboring businesses. Roughly 30 people from the auto shop and surrounding businesses were evacuated.
There was concern that pallets and paints at neighboring businesses would increase the fire’s intensity. Flames spread to a nearby building at one point, but they quickly were knocked down.
The fire ultimately was contained to the yard where it started and was declared under control by about 5 p.m.
Two crews remained on the scene overnight until about 1 a.m. Wednesday to keep an eye on smoldering pallets, said public information officer Erica Ray, with one crew expected to stay until about midday.
There were no reports of injuries among either evacuees or firefighters. Although several nearby businesses sustained minor heat damage, firefighters managed to tamp down the flames before they moved beyond the auto shop, Ray said.
The cause of the blaze is under investigation. As far as investigators can tell, the fire started outside the actual structure in the pallets and tires, Cloutier said.
On Wednesday, investigators will dig into the fire’s exact origin, Ray said. There was not an immediate estimate of the monetary damage to the auto shop.
Both South 10th and South Seventh streets were closed from Phelan Avenue to Tully Road while crews fought the fire.