Firefighters Extinguish Early-Morning Flames at Auto Shop

A crew from each of Gilroy’s three fire stations responded to early-morning fire at an auto repair shop Thursday, with investigators determining that the flames began in a utility pickup truck within the building. 

Firefighters received the report of a fire at Dynamic Auto Repair on 7555 Railroad St. at 12:22 a.m. Thursday, according to firefigher Randy Decker.

The building was closed, but smoke could be seen.

“We made forced entry through the main door,” Decker said.

Dense smoke made navigating inside the facility difficult, requiring the use of heat-sensitive camera equipment, said firefighter Heinz Maibaum.

“When you walked in there, you couldn’t even see your hand in front of your face,” Maibaum said.

Within fifteen minutes of the initial report, the combined crew of firefighters had opened the large garage doors of the shop, cleared the smoke and extinguished the fire.

There were no injuries, Decker said, and the flames remained confined to the pickup truck.

The building's own overhead sprinkler system had also activated, and Capt. Josh Valverde said the building was compliant with the fire code.

"It helped to keep the fire at bay, but firefighters were still required to put it out," said the captain.

The specific cause of the flareup within the vehicle is officially undetermined, said Valverde. Investigators learned that the truck was undergoing some electrical work, a common factor in vehicle fires.

An engine from the surrounding Cal Fire district and units from Gilroy police also responded to the incident. The engine from Cal Fire provided additional aid, but the captain said it was released during the incident to address a medical call within the city.