A business shop suffered major damage in a structure fire in northeast Hollister the night of June 15, as authorities evacuated neighboring homes out of concern the blaze could spread.
A firefighter was injured in the response to the structure fire, authorities said. The blaze also resulted in the loss of tools, computer systems and other equipment owned by a local construction contractor.
Hollister Fire Department responded to the fire about 8pm in the area of McCloskey Road and McCloskey Court. When crews arrived, they found a large shop fully engulfed in flames and the roof had already collapsed, the fire department said in a social media post.
Due to the intensity of the blaze and threats to nearby structures, the San Benito County Sheriff’s Office evacuated surrounding homes.
Additional resources were requested and a total of four fire engines and one battalion responded to help contain the fire. Also responding were water tenders and resources from neighboring agencies, Hollister Fire Department said.
The crews also helped evacuate horses and protect nearby properties from the spreading fire.
A firefighter who was injured was transported to a local hospital for treatment, Hollister FD said.
The site’s property owner, John Starkweather, was at the scene early Tuesday morning while fire crews were still mopping up.
“I heard what sounded like (someone) dropped wood or something and I looked out, saw smoke and called the fire department,” Starkweather said. “I was going to grab a hose but that’s when the roof collapsed in.”
Starkweather rents a portion of the property Rich Holdaway, owner of Holdaway Construction, Inc. on McClosky Court. Holdaway has posted a fundraising campaign on the internet since Monday night, noting that the fire destroyed “tools, supplies, computer systems and equipment that is too expensive for one person to replace.”
“This is the shop that his company called home, but it was also the place of many beloved memories and items that cannot be replaced,” says the fundraising page.
The fire department has not said what caused the fire.
