Smoke and flames billowed from the San Geronimo Post
Office last Friday, but thanks to the efforts of two clear-headed men,
damage was confined to the building’s lobby. Authorities are still
investigating the fire, but they have already determined that it was
caused by arson.
Shortly after 7 a.m., the man who delivers mail to
the post office crossed the street to the Two Bird Café, where
he told restaurant owner Tony Miceli that the post office was on fire.
Miceli and the man began to fill 5-gallon buckets with water to throw
on the flames while one of the restaurant’s employees called 911.
"I only went [to the post office] a couple of
times," Miceli told The Light. "I knew [the fire department]
was on their way." Miceli said that he held his breath, ran into
the post office lobby, threw the water on the flames, and then ran out.
County fire received the call at 7:10 a.m. Fire Captain
Specialist Mike Giannini said that when firefighters arrived at 7:14
a.m., "the majority of the fire had been extinguished by the two
men."
Miceli said he thought that bins of paper had been
ignited in the lobby. "That’s my post office," Miceli
said. "I noticed [the day before] there were five full tubs of
junk mail along one side of the wall."
Recycling bins ignited
Fire Marshall Scott Alber confirmed that the fuel
for the blaze was the paper in the post office’s recycling bins.
Postal investigators, in conjunction with county fire, are still investigating
what started the fire.
No mail was lost, although some, it appears, was smoked.
"I got my mail a couple of days ago, and it looked different, like
it was recycled," Miceli said. "But it was stained with smoke."
Once Miceli had picked out important items from his mail, he said, he
had to throw out the rest immediately, the smell was so bad.