Just before 10:00 pm on Saturday, June 23, 2007 Engine Company 25 of the San Jose Fire Department responded to a smoke investigation at 1081 Catherine Street in Alviso. Upon arrival the crew stretched their attack line only to discovered a rapidly spreading fire in a vacant single story structure. Within minutes the fire had broken through the roof of the building and had begun to threaten an adjacent restaurant.
Upon arrival Battalion Chief Kevin Conant (B1A) confirmed that the structure was unoccupied and a second alarm was transmitted. The decision was then made to proceed with a strictly defensive operation. Meanwhile, San Jose Engine Company 5 was directed to deploy their deck gun, while Truck 29 took up a position to hit the fire with their master stream. As the fire progressed, Safety Officer Robert Sapien declared the structure unsafe and directed all personnel to maintain a safe distance from the building due to potential collapse.
It took firefighters just under two hours to contain the blaze and prevent the fire from spreading to the exposures. There were no injuries and the cause of the fire is under investigation. Units working this fire included Battalion 1, Battalion 29, Battalion 10, USAR Company 5, Engine 25, Engine 29, Engine 5, and Truck Company 29.
