Winters Fire Department dispatched a crew of firefighters and Fire Captain Art Mendoza to respond to a residential structure fire on the 300 block of White Oak Lane on Monday, Feb. 17 at 10:37 p.m.
Mendoza said upon arrival Winters Police Department’s Sergeant Jose Hermosillo and Officer Alan Pinette had helped to evacuate the residents from the building.
Winters FD conducted a visual assessment and established the blaze was contained to the garage. Mendoza was able to access the attic to investigate further. Mendoza requested a second alarm and assistance from allied agencies and mutual aid partners; Winters PD, UC Davis Fire, West Plainfield Fire, Yolo Fire, Vacaville City Fire, Dixon Fire, and American Medical Response (AMR) ambulance who responded for medical standby for firefighters on the scene. Yocha Dehe Fire also responded but their call was canceled. Mendoza noted Vacaville Fire Protection District assisted at the Winters Fire Station while the crew was on scene.
Mendoza confirmed Winters resident and Marysville Fire Department Fire Chief, Ron Karlen, was also on scene to assist.
“He’s (Karlen) always been a member of our department even after he left,” Mendoza said. “He assisted with overhead advice and was another chief on scene to help.”
According to Mendoza the flames were extinguished a little after 11 p.m., but crews stayed on scene to help remove materials from the garage to prevent them from rekindling and to help clean up. Winters FD also brought a board from the station to
help board up access to the garage since the garage door was used as the access point to battle the blaze.
Mendoza said there were no injuries to residents or fire crews. Damage from the fire was mainly in the garage, and smoke and soot damage was minimal inside the rest of the house.
He gave credit to the collaboration between the different crews working together. Mendoza mentioned having different fire crews train together makes a different when it comes to working together to fight a fire.
“We all have a job to do and it worked out perfectly. That’s why we train with each other,” Mendoza said. “We’re like a symphony. We really gel. We all know our assignments and we go from there.”
He said having multiple crews and firefighters on scene helped to make the process run better.
Mendoza noted when one crew is ready to refill their air tanks and recharge, another crew goes in fresh and ready.
“It takes a lot. You have to take a break to change out the air bottle,” said Mendoza. “It’s helpful because we rotate in and out. It’s very tough on the body.”
He also noted the neighbors and community members were supportive to the family and helped to keep the children away from the elements of the fire.
“That’s Winters. We help each other out and that lets us do our job,” Mendoza said.
The cause of origin of the fire is still under investigation.
Mendoza confirmed that it started in the garage.
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