The owner of a vehicle that caught on fire in rural Morgan Hill
was fortunate that a Calfire helicopter was already nearby
Wednesday.
The owner of a vehicle that caught on fire in rural Morgan Hill was fortunate that a Calfire helicopter was already nearby Wednesday.
A resident of Esther Lake Drive in the hills above west Morgan Hill reported the fire about 4 p.m., according to Calfire battalion chief Jim Crawford.
The caller reported a passenger vehicle was on fire inside a barn on the property. By the time firefighters arrived, the resident had already moved the car outside the barn and “partially extinguished” the blaze, preventing flames from spreading to the structure, Crawford said.
Luckily, a Calfire pilot and helicopter were in the area for a training exercise, Crawford said. The helicopter and its operators dumped a tank of water on the burning vehicle and fully extinguished the fire before any land-based firefighters arrived.
“That area is so rural and it takes so long to get there,” Crawford said. The helicopter also landed near the site of the fire to assist the residents.
No injuries were reported, and the only damage reported was suffered by the vehicle, Crawford said. Authorities do not know why the vehicle caught on fire.
