On Saturday, April 5, at 5:26 p.m., a 9-1-1 call was received reporting flames coming from the backyard of a single-family residence in the 1100 block of Doyle Place.
City of Mountain View Fire Department units were dispatched at 5:26 p.m. and the first engine company arrived on the scene at 5:29 p.m. The first engine on the scene arrived to find a fully involved shed fire in the backyard of a single-family home. Firefighters quickly extinguished the flames with a fire-attack hose line, preventing the fire from spreading into the residence.
Firefighters performed an extensive overhaul of the fire-destroyed shed to ensure complete extinguishment of the flames. The principal residence was damaged from radiant heat, causing the outer pane of a dual-pane window to break. Firefighters used thermal imaging cameras to confirm the fire did not spread into the residential structure. The Mountain View Police Department closed Doyle Place for 40 minutes while fire units and equipment were on the scene.
The origin of the fire appeared to be the front corner of the shed, near a portable battery bank. The cause of the fire was determined to be the overheating of lithium-ion batteries left unattended in the shed. The estimated damage to the shed, contents and window of the residence is $12,000.
The City of Mountain View Fire Department provides safety tips about charging and operating lithium-ion batteries at https://www.mountainview.gov/our-city/departments/fire/fire-and-environmental-protection-division/fire-prevention.
Media Contact
Robert Maitland, Fire Department PIO
650-903-6825 or robert.maitland@mountainview.gov
