San Jose firefighters moved fast yesterday to stop a blaze at Blackford Elementary, keeping what could have been a campus-wide disaster to a single classroom and getting the flames out within minutes. No students, staff members or firefighters were hurt, and investigators are now working to figure out how the fire started.
According to NBC Bay Area, the call came in around 2:25 p.m., and crews had the flames contained to one room and knocked down by about 2:40 PM. The outlet reports that the San José Fire Department’s Arson Unit has been assigned to determine the origin and cause of the blaze.
Where It Happened
Blackford Elementary is located at 1970 Willow Street in San Jose’s Willow Glen area and serves students in kindergarten through fifth grade. According to Blackford Elementary, the campus is part of the Campbell Union School District and provides contact information for the school office on its website.
Arson Unit Investigating
Per the San José Fire Department, the Arson Unit is responsible for investigating the origin of suspicious fires, and its investigators are cross-trained as both firefighters and law-enforcement officers. The department’s San José Fire Department contacts page lists an Arson Tip Line and explains how to share video or other evidence with investigators. Anyone with footage or information about the Blackford Elementary fire is being asked to call the tip line as authorities continue their work.
