Woodside wildfire: Fire-safe landscaping saved homes

By Andrea Gemmet

Almanac Staff Writer

Friday was the kind of blazing hot, dry summer day when combustion of some sort seemed inevitable, the kind of day that makes firefighters edgy and homeowners nervous.

According to reports by two witnesses, all it took to spark the fierce wildfire that scorched 10 to 12 acres in central Woodside was the brittle branch of a eucalyptus tree falling on power lines, then onto the dry grass below.

The fire was reported at 4:34 p.m. Friday afternoon, August 9, and within five minutes the two-alarm brush fire escalated to a six-alarm blaze that sent a huge crew of firefighters from all over the Peninsula rushing to fight the flames and protect about a dozen houses along Albion Avenue between Manuela Avenue and Olive Hill Lane, as well as on Canada Road, said Tom Maruyama, deputy director of the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office of Emergency Services.

Thanks to preventive measures taken by homeowners, such as mowing weeds, cleaning debris from roofs, and maintaining fire-resistant landscaping, firefighters were able to save the homes, said Chief Mike Fuge of the Woodside Fire Protection District.

"It was a major factor," said Chief Fuge. "Vegetation management saved homes."

"The fire surrounded several homes, including a nearly 100-year-old ranch house," he said. "I couldn't believe that it didn't burn, but it had a brand-new roof of treated shake (shingles)."

Casualties in the wildfire area were several outbuildings such as sheds and old barns, some fences and a historic water tower, said Woodside Battalion Chief Rawn Pritchard, who coordinated the multi-agency firefighting efforts at the scene. One unoccupied home had minor damage, he said. He estimated the damage in the wildfire area to be between $50,000 and $100,000.

Not so fortunate was Elly Dickinson, whose home about a mile away on Our Hill Lane, near the corner of Woodside and Canada roads, caught fire when the wildfire's embers blew over and ignited the house's wood shake roof. Another group of firefighters battled that two-alarm fire while their colleagues continued to try to contain the wildfire. The whole roof of the house collapsed, causing an estimated $500,000 in structural damage and approximately $250,000 in damage to the home's contents, said Mr. Pritchard.

Thick smoke and the sound of breaking glass filled the narrow, fire engine-clogged stretch of Our Hill Lane where neighbors gathered to watch the flames. Daryl Debell, who lives next door, said he felt pretty confident his house would not be affected.

"I feel I'm safe. I have a concrete shake roof," he said.

Two firefighters received minor injuries, one with a puncture wound to his hand and another who appeared to be suffering from heat exhaustion, said Mr. Pritchard. They were taken to the hospital, treated and released, he said.

Working to firefighters' advantage were minimal winds and the flat terrain in the area, he said. Homeowners' fire-safe landscaping not only saved houses but also provided escape routes for firefighters.

"It's much safer for firefighters if they have safety zones to go to, like a nice, big green lawn," Mr. Pritchard said.

The wildfire appears to have started in a big grove of eucalyptus trees on a portion of the Fleishhacker estate near 333 Albion Ave., he said. It quickly jumped a wide driveway, spreading to the southwest, and also jumped to the east side of Albion Avenue, he said.

"When a fire starts jumping roads, it's a very uneasy feeling," said Mr. Pritchard.

The six-alarm fire sent a fleet of vehicles rushing to the scene, about 47 pieces of equipment in all, ranging from fire engines and water pumper trucks to a bulldozer and helicopter from the California Department of Forestry, Mr. Pritchard said. Two airplanes were called in to drop fire retardant, but ended up being sent back because they weren't needed, he said.

A full deployment of personnel from CDF amounted to "several more alarms-worth" of firefighting personnel, he said. Sheriff's deputies, the Red Cross, the county's Office of Emergency Services and the Peninsula Humane Society also responded. On Monday afternoon, he said he still didn't have a full count of all the emergency personnel who responded.

Mr. Pritchard said he couldn't remember when the last six-alarm fire occurred in Woodside.

"I don't think we've ever had one," he said.

The fire was contained by 6:30 p.m., and hand crews worked through the night to put out hot spots. In fact, firefighting crews have stayed on the scene around the clock searching for smoke and embers, Mr. Pritchard said, and won't be leaving until 24 hours have gone by when they don't find anything.

While fire crews fought the flames, out of the sight of bystanders, the front parking lot of Woodside Elementary School served as the command center for emergency personnel, where Mr. Maruyama of the Office of Emergency Services fielded questions from a gaggle of reporters, TV news crews and concerned residents who were milling around in the smoky heat.

Sue Boynton, Woodside's mayor pro tem, said she had been going back and forth between her house and the fire command center, just in case anyone might need the help of a town official.

"My biggest concern is that the people are safe and protected, and the structures are safe," she said.

The San Mateo County branch of the Red Cross set up an emergency shelter in Woodside Elementary's new gym, but it remained empty. Mr. Pritchard said that when things settled down, about three hours after the fire broke out, people were able to start heading back to their homes.

After the fire was contained, tired firefighters also retreated to the elementary school for food, water and rest, said Mr. Pritchard.

"Later that evening, there were some very weary looking people who put it all on the line in order to get the fire stopped," he said.

PG&E crews shut off power in the area, leaving downtown Woodside and surrounding residences in the dark. California Water Department crews monitored water pressure, and sent gas generators to a nearby pumping station affected by the temporary blackout, said district Darin Duncan.

Buck's restaurant was also dark, but owner Jamis MacNiven boosted morale by serving hors d'oeuvres and free drinks to all comers from the restaurant's bar. He was in high spirits after successfully getting a reporter from Channel 3 news to believe his story about the fire being caused by a huge pile of burning cash, possibly owned by a skittish former stock market investor, which was sending charred fragments of dollars blowing into the parking lot.

"I can't believe she took me seriously," he said after spinning his yarn in a live phone interview.