On Friday, July 09, 2004 at 1301 hours, the Vista Fire Department was dispatched to a full first alarm residential structure fire in the vicinity of 1135 Phillips Drive in the City of Vista.
The first alarm assignment responded a truck, 3 engines, 2 rescue ambulances, a fire prevention unit and a battalion chief to the scene. While in route, battalion Chief Randy Terich (1203) observed a high, heavy black header in the sky. Chief Terich was familiar with this older residential neighborhood, with limited water supply, highly combustible vegetation and narrow roadways. Based upon this history, a second alarm was requested to start additional resources in the event that fire or weather conditions changed for the worse.
On scene, Battalion Chief Terich reported heavy fire and smoke showing from the rear section of a single family home. Two adjacent dwellings were in immediate danger and neighbors were already employing garden hoses to protect their property from the fast spreading fire.
First in engine 1211 dropped a 700
