On June 21st, 2021, Engine 3 responded to a trailer on fire on Airport Way. While en route, dispatchers received updated 911 calls and ‘completed the assignment’ to a working structure fire. Engine 3 arrived on scene to two semi-truck trailers on fire up against a commercial warehouse. Upon making entry to the warehouse, Engine 3 informed Command that this was storage for a mattress recycling company and was stock full of mattresses and pallets. Stockton Firefighters committed to an aggressive attack, but could not slow the intensity of the fire. This fire would reach a 4th alarm before being brought under control.
Crews on scene had to utilize 4 hydrants for various water supplies, including one that required relay pumping 1,600 feet. The tilt-up construction of the building walls created a thermal insulator for the fire, which combined heavy fuel load and gusting winds from the north to rage out of control. The sprinkler systems in the warehouse were overrun by the fires intensity. In addition to burning through the roof, the fire spotted into the field to the south and began to run toward a lumber yard.
Firefighters utilized a load bearing interior tilt-up wall as a fire break and were able to extinguish the blaze before it extended north into the additional warehouses or any other exposures. Crews also faced exploding propane tanks on scene and uncontrolled traffic lanes on Airport. The building was set back from the road enough that each 2 1/2 in attack line (or ground monitor) required laying hundreds of feet in order to be effective. After Charlie division relayed information about unfavorable conditions, Command made the call for an evacuation and shift to Defensive attack. The view from Truck 3’s elevated master stream shows the extent of the fire growth.
The initial edit of this video was only a few minutes long and posted to facebook in the days after the fire. It detailed the vertical ventilation of the roof and some of the master stream operations. It became one of the most viral videos we had posted, garnering more than 3 million views. We have now reedited the video with more of the fire attack, fire audio, and more captions to better explain the conditions that Stockton Firefighters encountered on that day.
We thank you for your views, support, feedback, and comments. Comments that contain profanity, incite controversy, or are intended to 'troll' will be deleted. This video is intended to educate the public on what Stockton Firefighters must encounter- not host a platform for people to argue about personal issues or the fire service.
The Stockton Fire Department consists of 12 firehouses that protect 350,000 people. Stockton Firefighters respond to approximately 50,000 emergencies a year, including an average of one working structure fire a day.
We are proud to serve the citizens and City of Stockton, California.