San José's East Side witnessed how quickly disaster can upend the quotidian with a third-alarm fire ravaging a residential structure on the 2400 block of Clyda Dr. yesterday afternoon. The San José Fire Department (SJFD) reported that firefighters had arrived at the scene by 2:44 pm, battling a blaze that impeded traffic and compelled the advice to avoid the area.
#SJFD firefighters are on scene of a third-alarm assignment at a residential structure on the 2400 block of Clyda Dr. in East San Jose.
— San José Fire Dept. (@SJFD) August 3, 2024
Traffic is impacted. Please avoid the area.
TOC: 2:44pm. pic.twitter.com/B6r9tnirgn
After an intense skirmish with the flames, the SJFD announced success in its knockdown efforts by 4:10pm, yet the battle left the involved structure a total loss, marking another residence succumbing to the appetite of an uncontrolled fire. While the damage claimed a backyard shed and a fence of an adjacent home, thankfully, the main structures stood unscathed. Running from the blaze, one juvenile, sustaining burn injuries, was in haste transported to receive medical attention.
As if the fire's wrath spared no thought for the after-effects, a damaged power pole joined the calamity's consequence, plunging a swath of the neighborhood into darkness. The repercussions extended to approximately 22 residences left without electricity, with Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) projecting restoration stretching overnight or spilling into nascent morning hours.
Meeting the immediate needs of those displaced by the fire, the Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) buses, as temporary havens, were on the scene to offer residents affected a respite from the heat and a place to collect themselves amidst the day's turmoil.
