A fire that caused Highway 9 to be closed for more than two hours last week has displaced six residents in downtown Boulder Creek.
The fire began on the outside of a home at 12585 Highway 9 at about 1:15 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 1, and was extinguished less than an hour later, said Boulder Creek Fire Chief Kevin McClish.
It burned into the attic of the two-unit structure, which made it difficult for firefighters to reach, McClish said.
“We had to cut off a lot of the roof to get to it,” he added.
The living area in both units has smoke and water damage, displacing the six people who lived there. The large house is next door the San Lorenzo Valley Museum, which was untouched.
When the fire broke out, Timmy Hatch, 27, a severely disabled man, was in bed. His brother and part-time caregiver, Isaac Hatch, 29, was in the same room when he discovered that the fire that had started outside, said their mother, Dawn King.
“Isaac called 911,” King said. “Everything happened so fast. Isaac ran outside and grabbed the wheelchair. Then he got Timmy out of the bed without the lift, because it was on fire, and took him out the front door.”
With help from passer-by Stephanie Smith, Isaac Hatch got Timmy Hatch out the door and down the stairs and pushed him to safety, King said, leaving no one injured.
King said Isaac Hatch also threw water on his brother’s wheelchair to cool it down, because the heat from the fire had heated it up.
“(Isaac) did a pretty heroic thing and wheeled him out,” McClish said.
Firefighters were unable to determine the exact cause of the fire, but McClish noted that it began on the exterior of the home.
The American Red Cross helped some of the displaced residents over the weekend by putting them up for three days, and Valley Churches United Missions is accepting donations on behalf of the victims of the fire.
“Some of the people are beginning to come in for help from us,” said Linda Lovelace, Valley Churches operations director.
King said she has lived in the house for the better part of 16 years and moved Timmy Hatch back in with her in January so she could care for him. He suffered a debilitating brain injury when he was hit in the head by a baseball in May 2009.
King said the family’s biggest challenge is finding a place to live. They would like to rent a home in the San Lorenzo Valley where they can install a wheelchair ramp. Their previous home had three bedrooms.
Valley Churches has a fund set up to help the family. Earmarked donations can be sent to VCUM, Timmy Hatch, P.O. Box 367, Ben Lomond, CA 95005.
