A fire at Annie’s Cottage in San Juan Bautista damaged an
estimated 100 percent of the shop’s contents last Thursday,
according to San Juan Fire Department Chief Rick Cokley.
The unofficial cause of the fire is believed to be candles which
fell into a floor heater, according to Cokley.
A 911 call was received by the San Benito County Communications
Center at 1:57 p.m.
A fire at Annie’s Cottage in San Juan Bautista damaged an estimated 100 percent of the shop’s contents last Thursday, according to San Juan Fire Department Chief Rick Cokley.
The unofficial cause of the fire is believed to be candles which fell into a floor heater, according to Cokley.
A 911 call was received by the San Benito County Communications Center at 1:57 p.m.
The San Juan Fire Department sent two fire engines, one rescue unit and two chief officers to the 1900s Victorian-style home located at 103 The Alameda in San Juan Bautista.
The home had been converted into a retail business dealing in antiques and other collectable items.
After immediate inspection by Assistant Chief Scott Freels of a “totally involved building,” two additional engines were ordered from the City of Hollister and the San Benito County Fire Department.
The blaze, which damaged approximately 30 percent of the building, took about an hour for firefighters to get full control of, said California Department of Forestry Capt. Manuel Guerrero.
Total time spent at the scene, including overhaul, was four hours, according to Cokley.
The San Juan crew initiated an interior attack on the fire, but was initially driven back because of extreme heat and fire conditions, due to the heavy fuel load in the building, according to Cokley.
After ventilation was established, the crew extinguished the seat of the fire before other aid units arrived, which then assisted with overhaul and salvage operations.
“Given the volume of fire involvement, these guys did a heck of a job stopping this fire from destroying the building,” Cokley said. “Over half the crew from San Juan were rookie firefighters who had never fought a real fire before. I am really proud of all of them.”
