Two separate fires burned the clubhouse at Hollister’s Gibson
Station Gated Community in the course of six hours causing
extensive damage to the structure, but no injuries have been
reported.
HOLLISTER
Two separate fires burned the clubhouse at Hollister’s Gibson Station Gated Community in the course of six hours causing extensive damage to the structure, but no injuries have been reported.
“It is considered to be suspicious circumstances,” said Hollister Fire Department Chief Fred Cheshire.
The first fire at the community near Rancho San Justo Middle School was reported to the department at 8 p.m. Tuesday and was quickly contained by Hollister firefighters.
“We were able to locate the origin, but nothing indicated what started it,” said Cheshire.
The second incident was reported at 1:53 a.m. today and resulted in Cheshire “requesting a full-on investigation by our department and Calfire,” the chief said.
Capt. Michael O’Connor is handling the investigation for the Hollister Fire Department. Fire Capt. Spc. Investigator Cliff Williams is handling the Calfire investigation.
“I talked with Capt. Tim Schneider, who oversaw the first incident, about the possibility that the first fire had rekindled, and he told me, ‘absolutely not.'”
Cheshire told the Free Lance that Schneider’s crew removed all charred spots and then used a thermal imaging camera that can “detect the slightest difference in temperature” within a structure.
Anyone with information should call Williams at 385-5575.
