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News | July 27, 2020

DLA San Joaquin Firefighters assist in saving homes

By Annette Silva, DLA Distribution San Joaquin Public Affairs

The fire crew at Defense Logistics Agency Installation Management San Joaquin’s Fire Station 262 were dispatched for mutual aid by South San Joaquin County Dispatch in the late afternoon of July 5. They were later called out for a second alarm working residential structure fire in the city of Tracy, California.

They responded with a crew of four firefighters and were assigned fire attack on Marie Avenue. The crew deployed 700 feet of 3-inch supply line to the rear of the structures off Clover Avenue. Further, Engine-262 deployed two attack lines off the 3-inch supply line and made an aggressive fire attack stopping the progress of the fire and saving the last residential unit on the row of duplexes.

“E-262’s specific actions during this mutual aid had a direct impact in preventing further homes from being destroyed along Marie Avenue,” said Fire Capt. Donald Cabral Jr.

E-262 was first to arrive from the south along Marie Avenue and the crew engaged the chain of homes being consumed by fire head on. They deployed hose lines by foraging their way through backyards, going up, around and physically through fences. The hose advancements were so entangled due to the composition of the neighborhood that lay citizens were helping them hand jack hundreds of feet of hose. After arriving at the first savable residence, crews anchored in and combated flames that were 15 to 20 feet above the roof tops of the duplex units.

Cabral further commented that the strategy worked, and they were able to prevent fire spread to many other homes in the direct and immediate vicinity.

Mutual aid was provided by nine area fire departments. The Clover incident grew to five alarms bringing additional manpower to the scene. A total of nine residences were destroyed or damaged in the incident. It took fire crews approximately five hours to bring the incident under control and the crew remained on scene for an additional two hours, mopping up the incident.

“DLA San Joaquin’s Fire and Emergency Services E-262 crew made an aggressive attack stopping the fire at this location,” concluded Cabral.

The E-262 crew on scene included Cabral, Driver Robert Hanks, Firefighter Ian Thulin and Fire Medic Lawson Stuart.