South County Fire Authority

	Contact	Herb Jewell, Fire Chief
	E-mail	herbj@scfa.dst.ca.us
	Phone	(650) 802-4255
	Fax	(650) 592-4714

At 4:55 p.m. on the afternoon of Sunday, April 8, 2001, fire units from the South County Fire Authority and San Mateo County Fire Department responded to a reported (multiple 9-1-1 reports) structure fire at 116 Madera Avenue, between Vista del Grande and Alameda de las Pulgas, in a hillside area of San Carlos served by narrow streets.

Upon arrival of the first fire unit at 4:59 p.m., a "working fire" was found involving a two-story, wood-frame house. A neighboring, downhill house at 112 Madera Avenue was threatened by the fire. The fire service response to this incident quickly escalated to second (5:00 p.m.), third (5:05 p.m.), and ultimately to fourth-alarm (5:19 p.m.) proportions. Firefighters using 2.5-inch and 1.75-inch hand lines (five, total), aggressively contained the fire, with the exception of the interior stairway, to the floor of origin in approximately 36 minutes.

Except for the garage, the entire first story (street level) was gutted by fire. Some fire damage, plus considerable water and smoke damage, occurred on the second story (below street level). The neighboring house at 112 Madera Avenue was not damaged by the fire. No one was at home at the time of the fire.

The origin of the fire was in the first-story living room, but the exact cause is currently under investigation. The owners of the house, Ernest and Joyce Burden - who originally built the house in 1962 - arrived home during the fire. Two deceased house cats were found on the house’s second story. There were no civilian or fire service injuries reported. The preliminary, combined structure/contents loss for this house fire is estimated to be $750,000.

Nine engine companies, four truck companies, two breathing support units, six chief officers, and one fire investigator from the South County Fire Authority, San Mateo County Fire Department, Redwood City Fire Department, Woodside Fire Protection District, Foster City Fire Department, San Mateo City Fire Department, and Menlo Park Fire Protection District - totaling 58 personnel, were assigned to this greater-alarm fire.

Other agencies responding to and assisting at this greater-alarm fire included the Peninsula Fire Buff Club, San Mateo County Public Safety Communications, San Mateo County Office of Emergency Services, American Red Cross, Pacific Gas & Electric, American Medical Response, and the San Carlos Police Department.

The last fire unit cleared from the fire ground at 8:39 p.m, at which time the house was returned to the control of its owners.