Fresco News Exclusive: Late Fire in South San Jose on Colleen Drive

SAN JOSE - As I was the only Fresco News user on the alert for any activities in Silicon Valley during the late Saturday hours, San Jose Fire Department and media outlets were paying attention to the fire along Silver Creek Valley Road near Piercy Road in San Jose, not far from highway 101. The problem was that media outlets were focusing solely on the fire on Silver Creek Valley Road.

And apparently, no media outlet mentioned about the fire that burned behind the residences on Colleen Drive. I was the only Fresco user about to return to my San Martin residence when radio calls were activated for the fire in South San Jose - I got to the scene within ten minutes. Here's what happened as far as the fire on Colleen Drive...


San Jose firefighters were called to reports of a small, but fast-moving grass fire behind the residences along Colleen Drive near Brenda Lee Drive, between Brenda Lee and Snell Avenue just after 9:30pm Saturday night. Fresco News was the only news crew on site of the fire and caught the blaze on video within 20 minutes of the fire. About 100 residents started smelling smoke in the area as the first calls came in around 9:30pm. All residents close to the fire line were evacuated as a precaution, though winds were blowing from the west.

The fire was dangerously close to nearby power lines, and as a result, assistance from Santa Clara County Fire's Cupertino unit and CAL FIRE were called to the scene minutes later. Two battalions fire vehicles were set up on Colleen Drive and Mary Evelyn Drive. CAL FIRE and Santa Clara County Fire were stationed along Colleen Drive near Blossom Avenue as scores of San Jose fire trucks were lining up along much of Colleen Drive. An off-duty Santa Clara County fire battalion chief from the Cupertino unit exclusively told Fresco News that he was home near the area at the time the fire started.

Firefighters were able to access the area off of the south end of Snell Avenue near Rocking Horse Court, not far from Colleen Drive. In spite of the blaze, the fire was completely put out by 11pm and residences were allowed to return in cheers. However, the cause of the fire remains under investigation, and it is not known whether the fire was deliberately set.

Original Work: Kyle Chak
E-mail: chak595301@gmail.com
Twitter: @KyleSChak
REMARKS: The following still images are exclusive to this blog. For video images of the fire on Colleen Drive in San Jose, please open the Fresco News app.