FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT
Erica Ray, Public Information Manager, San José Fire Department
408-398-9228; sjfdpio@sanjoseca.gov
Update on 5 Alarm Commercial Structure Fire Battled by San José Fire Department on Saturday, April 9
SAN JOSE, Calif. (April 10, 2022) – On Saturday, April 9, 2022 at 5:30 p.m., San José Fire Department (SJFD) received multiple calls reporting a fire inside Home Depot located at 920 Blossom Hill Road. A Full 1st response was dispatched at 5:31pm. The first arriving unit was on scene at 5:34 p.m. and reported a working fire in a large commercial structure located near the store’s lumber supply with customers and staff already in the process of evacuating the building. Recognizing the potential for this fire to grow quickly, additional resources were called in. By 6:08pm, a 5th and final alarm was called. Approximately 100 firefighters responded to this incident.
The primary goal for firefighters was to contain the massive fire from spreading to other businesses located within the strip mall-type structure, which included a vet hospital and additional hardware store. Crews successfully prevented the fire from extending beyond the business of origin.
Approximately 15 homes (+/- 45 residents) located directly behind the Home Depot on El Lisa Drive and the businesses co-located in the structure were evacuated during the fire attack. Firefighters were able to allow residents back into their homes late yesterday evening. All animals were safely evacuated from the vet hospital and a reunification site was set up at the nearby Golfland. San José Animal Care Center (SJACC) assisted the vet hospital staff who were in need of space for the remainder of the animals that had not yet been reunited with their owners. At this time most animals have been reunited with their owners and any remaining are now at the SJACC awaiting reunification.
A shelter in place was issued to those in the surrounding area and in the path of smoke to seek shelter indoors with windows and doors closed to minimize exposure to smoke from the fire. The shelter in place was lifted on Sunday, April 10 at 12:30 p.m. after the San José Fire Department Hazardous Incident Team determined, through testing, the air quality was good and no longer a concern.
The fire was placed under control at 11:44 p.m. on Saturday, April 9. Firefighters remained on scene throughout the night and are likely to remain on scene through this evening as well. No injuries have been reported or discovered at this time.
The cause of the fire is being investigated but has not yet been determined. There is currently no indication this fire was suspicious in nature. While overhead the fire, Santa Clara County Sheriff Department’s STAR1 helicopter observed two fires nearby and quickly reported them to SJFD. It is not clear at this time whether those fires were connected in any way to the fire at Home Depot. SJFD is looking into this matter and can provide more information at a later time.
SJFD would like to thank Santa Clara City Fire Department and Santa Clara County Fire Department for providing mutual aid to backfill San José fire stations while crews were out responding to this fire. Thank you to San José Police Department and California Highway Patrol for assisting with traffic control. Big thank you to Fire Associates of Santa Clara Valley for their extended time onsite providing rehab to firefighters on scene of this incident. And we thank our 100+ members who battled this 5-alarm blaze yesterday and those who are onsite today conducting fire watch, as well as our Public Safety Dispatchers who handled a very busy call center during this extended event.
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