While most students were just excited at the fact that school was canceled Feb. 12, a select few truly grasped the gravity of the fire at Veterans Industrial Park.  

On Thursday, Feb. 11, around 3:00 a.m., an enormous warehouse fire ignited at Veterans Industrial Park.  Two students in our school, senior Shaun Consentino and junior Andrew Santos were present at the scene serving as volunteer firefighters.

“I am right out of the fire academy, so this was a very big and overwhelming introduction to my career as a firefighter,” Constentino said.  “I know that all the fire departments in Hillsborough and those who came in to help are greatly appreciative of the support the community gave us in this event.” 

The fire truck that Santos was in was one of the first to arrive at the scene of the massive fire.

“Going to the scene was pretty exciting,” Santos said.  “Driving to the fire and seeing all of the smoke from such a far distance was thrilling.”

A major job at the scene was to make sure that trucks had plenty of water to extinguish the blaze.  By connecting hoses to the trucks, and constantly filling the hoses with water, this ensured that the fire could not spread beyond the contained site.

“The reason I became a firefighter was because I wanted to do something for the community,” Santos said.  “My older brother has been a firefighter for years and he is my role model.”

Santos was at the scene for a total of seven hours on Thursday, and went back on Friday morning to keep on working to extinguish the flames.  

Because of the severity of the wildfire, firefighters from across the region were sent to help extinguish the flames. Between firefighters of over five counties and 30 different communities, firefighters were finally able to contain the fire by Friday morning.

Extreme weather played a crucial role in the fight to contain the fire.  High winds contributed to spreading the fire, and frigid temperatures made conditions severe for firefighters.  Hundreds of firemen took turns on their shifts throughout the incident.

Many in the community wonder why it took the crews so long to extinguish the blaze.  Along with powerful winds and cold temperatures, an insufficient amount of hydrant pressure by the fire hoses made it difficult to contain the fire.

“It was a long and cold night,” Santos said.

Hillsborough residents can be relieved to learn that no one was seriously injured during this incident.  A big thanks goes out to every individual who contributed one way or another during this memorable event. The cause of fire is still unknown and an investigation is ongoing.