A large header rose into the afternoon sky prior to the first caller alerting the San Diego Fire Department to the garage fire at 5043 Gardena Avenue in the Bay Park neighborhood at 4:58 p.m. on Oct. 24. Responding units were advised that callers were reporting a fully engulfed structure.
Engine 25 was the first-in engine and its crew quickly commenced the fire attack. The remainder of the assignment consisted of Battalion Chiefs LaMantia and Nilsen, Engines 8, 15, 20 and 23, Truck 20 and Medic units 11 and 61.
With multiple apparatus arriving, one engine crew was quickly assigned as the RIC team as multiple hose lines were deployed to bring the flames under control. A large tree overhanging the garage and thick vegetation behind the structure hinted at a much larger fire if crews could not contain the flames quickly.
The interior of the garage was packed with possessions and while heavily damaged, SDFD crews were able to keep the flames confined to the structure, with eves on the “A” side suffering flame damage as the fire tried to grow.
With the flames extinguished, SDFD crews began overhaul as arson investigators arrived. They determined the cause of the fire to be accidental/undetermined and listed smoking or a candle fire inside the garage as the source of ignition. Damage to the structure was set at $100,000.00 with the contents damage coming in at $50,000.00. The incident was closed at 7:15 pm.
