Update: 9:30 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 2: A brush, grass and slash fire behind 247 Calle Marguerita Drive in Los Gatos that destroyed two outbuildings and three cars is considered suspicious, fire officials said.
The 6 p.m. blaze came dangerously close to threatening several apartment buildings, whose inhabitants were evacuated but were let back in when the fire was under control in 30 minutes, said Santa Clara County Fire Battalion Chief Kendall Pearson.
About an acre of grass next to looped Calle Marguerite Drive, with one side next to the railroad right-of-way and the sound wall for Highway 85, burned, Pearson said. "There was enough wind that we felt all the apartment buildings were threatened," Pearson said.
The menacing flames made firefighters call two additional alarms for a total 34 firefighters and 15 separate pieces of apparatus all from Santa Clara County Fire, Pearson added.
Fortunately none of the apartment buildings were affected, but three vehicles burned up completely along with two storage sheds, he said. There were no injuries to firefighters or the public, he said. "Everybody went home tonight and is able to sleep in their own home without being displaced."
The fire is considered suspicious, and the area has had other activity during the years with witnesses saying they saw a group of juveniles leaving the scene as soon as they saw smoke. "It's under investigation and we have no hard suspects," Pearson noted.
Update: 7:20 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 2: A fire in the 200 block of Calle Marguerita Drive in Los Gatos that ignited at about 6 p.m. has been completely extinguished, fire officials said.
However, Santa Clara County firefighters remain on scene to mop up the mess from the blaze that scorched about an acre of brush, three cars, and two outbuildings, said retired Santa Clara County firefighter Brian Floyd.
The inferno, which is under investigation, is believed to have begun by Highway 85 and the railroad tracks, Floyd said, who's at the scene.
None of the apartments, about 10 different buildings, on Calle Marguerita Drive burned, Floyd said.
Santa Clara County Fire Battalion Chief Brad Darbro is on the scene handling the cleanup and will remain at the location for several hours conducting an investigation into what happened, Floyd said.
No firefighters or residents were injured as a result of the blaze, but one civilian was treated and released for an unknown ailment, Floyd said.
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Firefighters are responding to a three-alarm structure fire in Los Gatos this evening, fire officials said.
The fire was reported at around 6 p.m. in the 200 block of Calle Marguerita, according to the Santa Clara County Fire Department.
Several vehicles and some surrounding brush are also burning.
Bay City News Service contributed to this report
