destroyed a 10,000 square foot structure overnight. As fireman watched the purple, green and blue hues of the fire, they realized that it was being feed by fertilizers and pesticides present at the site. Fireman chose to let the fire run its course rather than risk the washing of chemicals into the adjacent Guadalupe River. Initial reports indicate the fire may have started near an electrical box.
A massive fire swept through a large nursery in South San Jose late Tuesday, sending colorful flames into the night sky and destroying the estimated 10,000 square-foot structure.
It was also a rare blaze that the fire department deemed necessary to allow to burn.
The three-alarm fire at the Summer Winds nursery, located on Almaden Expressway near Branham Lane, was fueled in part by fertilizer, pesticides and insecticides and sent flames colored green, blue and purple into the sky, according to San Jose fire Capt. Mike Van Elgort.
San Jose firefighters first arrived at the nursery and reported that the structure was heavily involved in fire, which grew extremely rapidly, Van Elgort said.
Because firefighters knew pesticides were burning inside the structure, there were concerns that extinguishing the flames could result in groundwater being contaminated and potentially flowing into the nearby Guadalupe River, Van Elgort said.
Having determined the building was a total loss, fire officials decided to allow the flames to burn and eat the chemicals, Van Elgort said.
The fire department relied on a Hazardous Materials Team, which had equipment to measure chemical levels in the air and water, as well as wind flow, in making the decision.
"Based on what we were presented with, that volume of fire, it was about as good an outcome as you could have hoped for," Van Elgort said. "The fire was accelerated by the fertilizer."
Firefighters allowed flames to burn for about two hours to allow their tactics to work, Van Elgort said.
As of 6 a.m., fire crews were still on scene putting out hot spots.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, but fire officials believe it was accidental.
"Our tactics were solid here, which was great," Van Elgort said. "We adjusted on the fly, with changing condition and making the right decisions, and it protects the residents and our waterways. That's what you expect from a professional fire department."
The nursery has been located at the same location on Almaden Expressway for more than 40 years, according to Leo Goria, vice president of operations of Summer Winds Nurseries of California. It opened as a Woolworth Garden Center in the 1960s and was purchased by Summer Winds in 1998, Goria said.
Goria was at the scene of the fire around midnight and said he was horrified as he watched the nursery destroyed by flames.
"Looking at it; it's just unbelievable," Goria said. "The building is completely gone."
Goria said it's too early to know when and if Summer Winds can rebuild at the Almaden location. However, he said the company remains committed to being at the location and feels bad for the impact the blaze will have on its customers.
"We are committed to being here," he said.