Gilroy Fire Department

10/03/2026

October is California Firefighter Appreciation Month.

This month provides an opportunity to recognize the firefighters who serve communities throughout California.

Here in Gilroy, our firefighters answer the call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year…responding to fires, medical emergencies, vehicle collisions, wildland incidents, and countless other calls for help.

Their work is often performed quietly, one call and one patient at a time, but its impact is felt throughout our community.

October 3 is also California Firefighters Memorial Day. We join fire departments across the state in remembering California firefighters who have lost their lives and honoring the families, friends, and fellow firefighters who carry their memory forward.

If you see your Gilroy firefighters out in the community this month, say hello.

We’re proud to be part of the community we serve,

Thank you for answering the call.

09/25/2026

Coming Soon: Santa Teresa Fire Station

There’s a new sign in the neighborhood, and we’re excited about what it represents!

The sign is now up at the future home of the Santa Teresa Fire Station, marking another visible step forward in expanding fire and emergency medical services for our growing community.

This future station represents more than a new building… It represents increased emergency response capacity, improved coverage, and an investment in the long-term safety and resilience of Gilroy.

There is still plenty of work ahead, but today it’s exciting to see the future home of Gilroy’s next fire station taking shape.

Coming soon, Santa Teresa Fire Station!

Gilroy Fire Department is proudly serving our community today and preparing for tomorrow.

09/22/2026

The Gilroy Fire Department joins the fire service and wildland firefighting community in mourning the tragic loss of two helicopter pilots supporting operations on the Dome Fire in Yosemite National Park.

Wildland incidents bring together firefighters, aviation crews, dispatchers, support personnel, and many others from across the country. We work side by side, often under difficult conditions, with a shared mission of protecting communities and one another.

When we lose members of that team, the loss is felt far beyond a single incident or agency.

Our thoughts are with the families, friends, and coworkers of the two pilots, and with all of the personnel assigned to the Dome Fire who have been impacted by this tragedy.

We honor their service and sacrifice.

09/17/2026

Planning for the Future of Gilroy Fire

Wednesday, the Gilroy City Council held a study session focused on the current state and future of fire and emergency services in our community.

Gilroy continues to grow, and so does the demand for emergency services. The Gilroy Fire Department now responds to more than 7,000 incidents annually, and we have moved to a baseline of four continuously staffed engine companies, each staffed with three firefighters.

The study session provided an opportunity to look beyond today’s operations and begin asking an important question:

How do we make sure Gilroy has a fire service that remains capable, resilient, and sustainable as our community continues to grow?

Several potential service models were discussed, including continued investment in the City-operated Gilroy Fire Department, regional or shared-service opportunities, contracting with Santa Clara County Fire, and potential annexation into the County Fire District.

No decision has been made, and there is no immediate change to Gilroy Fire Department operations or the emergency services our community receives.

The City Council has requested additional analysis so the different models can be compared more closely, including their impacts on service levels, finances, governance, staffing, and long-term sustainability.

For us, this conversation ultimately comes back to the community we serve. Fire and emergency services are an intervention system… our people and resources must be available when they’re needed and able to respond quickly enough to change the outcome of an emergency.

We appreciate the opportunity to have this important conversation publicly with our City Council and community.

Watch the full City Council Fire Service Evaluation study session here:

Meeting Agenda: https://cityofgilroy.org/965/Agendas-MinutesZoom L...

09/12/2026

Gilroy Fire Deployment Update | Lucas Fire

Gilroy Fire Department’s CAL OES Engine 2614 has deployed as part of a regional strike team to support firefighting operations on the Lucas Fire, burning near Potter Valley along the Lake and Mendocino County line.

As of Saturday morning, the Lucas Fire is approximately 3,466 acres and 15% contained. Firefighters are working in difficult terrain with hot, dry and windy conditions, and evacuation orders remain in effect in portions of the area.

So, what is a CAL OES engine?

CAL OES engines are part of California’s statewide Fire and Rescue Mutual Aid System. The State of California provides these engines to local fire departments, and participating departments staff, maintain and operate them locally. When a major emergency occurs, CAL OES can mobilize those engines and their local crews to communities anywhere in California where additional resources are needed.

Gilroy houses and operates OES Engine 2614, a Type 6 wildland engine. When it deploys, it is staffed by Gilroy firefighters who become part of the larger statewide mutual aid response.

What is a strike team?

A strike team brings similar firefighting resources together under a Strike Team Leader so they can travel, communicate and operate as one organized unit. This allows California to rapidly move firefighters and equipment from multiple communities into an area experiencing a major incident.

Deployments like this are also reciprocal. Gilroy provides resources when other California communities need help, and that same statewide system can bring additional engines and firefighters to Gilroy and South County when we need them.

We wish our Gilroy firefighters and all personnel working the Lucas Fire a safe deployment. We will continue to monitor our crews and provide updates as the incident progresses.

Stay safe. Do good work. Come home safe.

09/07/2026

Happy Labor Day from the Gilroy Fire Department.

Today we recognize the hard work, skill, and dedication of working people throughout our community… and especially the men and women who serve Gilroy every day.

These photos capture what that service looks like… teamwork, commitment, and people looking out for one another while answering the call.

To our firefighters, our labor partners, our neighboring agencies, and everyone working to make our community stronger, thank you for what you do.

Have a safe Labor Day.

Gilroy Fire Department

09/03/2026

Our August 2026 numbers are in.

We’ve updated the Gilroy Fire Department Performance Dashboard with our latest year-to-date incident and apparatus activity.

Through August 28, Gilroy Fire has responded to 4,269 incidents, averaging 17.8 incidents per day, with 5,451 apparatus responses supporting those emergencies.

The dashboard is designed to make our department’s workload, readiness, and regional relationships easier for our community to see and understand.

Take a look and explore the latest updates:

gilroyfiredept.org

Courage • Service • Community

08/30/2026

A BUSY NIGHT FOR GILROY FIREFIGHTERS

Gilroy firefighters had a busy overnight period, responding to eight calls for service, including two fires.

Earlier in the night, Gilroy crews assisted our automatic-aid partners with a fire near Pacheco Pass and Canada Road.

Then, early this morning, firefighters responded to a significant structure fire at an unoccupied residence off Santa Teresa Boulevard. The first arriving company from Sunrise Fire Station encountered heavy fire conditions with fire already through the roof.

Due to the conditions, firefighters initially attacked the fire from the exterior before continuing operations to bring the fire under control. The residence sustained significant damage, and the cause of the fire is under investigation.

While multiple Gilroy companies were committed to the incident, Morgan Hill Fire provided coverage in the City, helping maintain emergency response capability for additional calls. Santa Clara County Fire also assisted with the incident.

Despite a busy night, no injuries were reported.

Incidents like these are also a good example of why our relationships with neighboring fire departments matter. Automatic and mutual aid allow the closest appropriate resources to respond across jurisdictional boundaries while helping maintain coverage for the communities we serve.

Thank you to our firefighters, dispatchers, and our regional partners for their work throughout the night.

Gilroy Fire Department

08/29/2026

TIMBER FIRE DEPLOYMENT UPDATE

As conditions on the Timber Fire in Monterey County continue to challenge firefighters, additional resources have been requested to support the incident.

Today, Gilroy Fire Department deployed Engine 649 to the Timber Fire.

E649 joins E650, which remains assigned to the incident. E650’s original crew recently completed a 14-day assignment and was replaced through a crew rotation, allowing the engine to remain continuously committed to the fire.

While we continue to support our regional partners, Gilroy remains fully staffed and ready to respond here at home. Maintaining that local response capability remains our priority as we balance requests for additional mutual aid.

We are proud of our firefighters for answering the call and representing Gilroy with professionalism and dedication. Please keep all of the firefighters, support personnel, and communities affected by the Timber Fire in your thoughts as this incident continues.

Stay safe, E649 and E650.

Gilroy Fire Department

08/28/2026

🚩 RED FLAG WARNING — A DIFFERENT KIND OF FIRE WEATHER THREAT

You may have noticed some rain this morning … but don’t let the rain fool you.

A Red Flag Warning is in effect today for portions of the Santa Cruz Mountains and western Gilroy hills. This is a little different from the Red Flag conditions we typically think about in our area.

Instead of prolonged hot, dry winds, today’s concern is isolated thunderstorms that can produce lightning with limited rainfall, along with sudden and erratic outflow winds.

⚡ Why does that matter? Lightning can ignite dry vegetation, particularly at higher elevations, even when rain is falling nearby. Thunderstorm outflow winds can then develop quickly, change direction, and cause a new fire to spread unpredictably.

The Gilroy Fire Department has increased our staffing depth today and is monitoring weather conditions, lightning activity, regional fire activity, and resource availability. Additional personnel and apparatus are available should conditions change or our community need them.

Please avoid activities that could spark a vegetation fire, report smoke or fire immediately to 9-1-1, and stay aware of changing conditions.

A little rain doesn’t necessarily eliminate the fire threat. Today, it just means the threat looks different.

Stay informed. Stay prepared. Stay safe.

— Gilroy Fire Department