Fire crews from multiple agencies converged on a rugged stretch east of Milpitas late Tuesday night for an over-the-side rescue near Marsh Road and Arroyo Hondo Road.
According to a CAL FIRE Santa Clara Unit Facebook post published Tuesday night, the Milpitas Fire Department, CAL FIRE SCU, and Spring Valley VFD were all operating at the scene of the over-the-side rescue east of Milpitas, near Marsh Road and Arroyo Hondo Road.
A county wildfire-protection plan describes jurisdictional arrangements and contracted first-response protection in the eastern foothills. The plan says Spring Valley Volunteer Fire Department is a nonprofit first responder that supports San Jose Fire Department and CAL FIRE in parts of the East Foothills; it also describes mutual-aid agreements with Milpitas, San Jose and CAL FIRE. The plan places Spring Valley’s response area east of Milpitas and north San Jose, extending from Alum Rock Park to the Santa Clara-Alameda county line. The county’s East Foothills wildfire plan also identifies the region as a wildland-urban interface.
Public Asked to Stay Clear of the Area
The post asked the public to avoid Marsh Road and Arroyo Hondo Road so that emergency vehicles could maintain clear access while the rescue was underway. No further details on injuries, the people involved, or the cause of the incident were included in the post.
The terrain has also shaped Milpitas’ rescue planning. In 2017, the city’s fire department used a new rapid-extrication module, intended for victims trapped in remote areas, during a county wildfire exercise; the department described the training as strengthening its hillside response capability.
The rescue operation remained active in the area as crews worked the scene, with the agencies' apparatus occupying the roadway near the intersection. No additional information about the outcome of the rescue was available.
