The garage was used primarily as a work shed, Fildes said. “There was quite a bit of equipment inside of it, as well as ammunition... when we first arrived on scene there were several very large explosions from the ammo and gunpowder going off. There were several five-gallon gas cans that exploded as well... it got our attention.”Fildes said firefighters were able to get a knockdown on the fire “within about 20 minutes. If it hadn’t been for the good work of the first arriving companies we would have had three houses burning. Firefighters did a phenomenal job under the circumstances, were able to take the heat out of the fire, knock it down and save the homes.”Although the cause of the fire is still under investigation, it is believed to be electrical in nature. “The reporting parties saw the fire when it initially started in the attic of the garage, then it fell down and all the contents went up.”The structure and the contents, noted Fildes, were “a complete loss.” Estimated damages are “probably around $20,000 for the garage - it was a big garage, most are 20 feet by 20 feet and this was double that - and the value of the loss contents is still being determined.”Fildes noted that Santa Paula Firefighter Matt Lindsey suffered a minor knee injury during the firefight. “I took him to Santa Paula Hospital to have him checked out... it was just a sprain.”The three nearby homes threatened by the fire had minor damage from the high heat that Fildes said was confined to “light fixtures melted, broken windows, and paint blistering on the side of the homes.” Firefighters cleared the scene at about 10 p.m.
Ojai Road fire destroys oversized garage, briefly threatens three homes
September 10, 2008
Santa Paula News
A fast moving fire that destroyed an oversized garage on Ojai Road Saturday evening briefly threatened nearby homes, but was quickly knocked down by firefighters, one who received a slight injury.
By Peggy KellySanta Paula TimesA fast moving fire that destroyed an oversized garage on Ojai Road Saturday evening briefly threatened nearby homes, but was quickly knocked down by firefighters, one who received a slight injury.According to Santa Paula Assistant Fire Chief Kevin Fildes, the blaze, located at 1411 Ojai Road - near Amber Drive - was reported at 6:26 p.m. on September 6. “The funny thing was I saw it before the tones went off, then everything started being dispatched” to the scene, noted Fildes.When SPFD firefighters arrived on scene, they found an 800-square foot garage consumed by flames, with three nearby residences at fire risk. “There were also high-power Edison lines that had melted and dropped, so we had arcing electrical lines on the ground as well.”SPFD Engine 81 personnel “went to attack the fire, and Engine 82 handled the exposures” and were able, said Fildes, “to stop the fire from spreading into the houses.” Two residents of the single-family home with the blazing detached garage were notified by neighbors of the fire and were able to leave their residence without incident.Two Ventura County fire engines and a pair of engines dispatched from the City of Ventura also responded to the SPPD call for mutual aid, as did the Fillmore Fire Department’s light and air unit.
