TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Thirty years feels like a long time but for those who were on the ground fighting the Old Tucson Studios fire decades ago, those memories come rushing back.
Philip Breton doesn't keep a lot of keepsakes of his days as a first responder.
"I wanted to have a career that made me feel good about doing something. Yes, the excitement of going in and out of burning buildings was definitely there. But for me it was more wanting to be able to serve the community," Philip told me.
This century-old hydrant from Chicago placed firmly in his backyard might be the one exception.
But he does take with him the pictures in his mind's eye of days like April 24th, 1995.
"I still see it in color... I'll remember that the rest of my life," Philip said.
He'd been on the job with Northwest Fire District for more than five years. He'd seen some tough situations before but nothing like this.
"There was fire all around us. Buildings burning all around us," he recalled. "As far as structure firefighting that was probably by far the most intense fire that I ever had as a firefighter."
When his crew headed over Gates Pass and started the counterattack, a dozen firefighters; four from Tucson Fire, four from Rural Metro; and four from Northwest were tasked with stopping the fire's advance on the southern edge of the property.
At first, it seemed to be working. They knocked down the flames on one building...
"Started spraying a little bit more to get to the next building and the hose went limp, ha ha ha..." Philip laughed.
This story is part of a KGUN 9 Original Presentation. Watch our entire in-depth special report, Old Tucson Fire: 30 Years Later, only on KGUN 9 online:
You can see what happened with conditions like today. A hot spring day leading into the driest months of the year. 30-40 mile per hour winds slamming the backside of the Tucson mountains. But perhaps the most critical element to the devastation was the lack of access to water.
Philip isn't a fire investigator. He responds and extinguishes the flames but he told me it's pretty clear the problem that day.
"There was a lack of water supply in Old Tucson. They had an antiquated system. Very little water. Very few hydrants. And it was a recipe for disaster," Philip said.
With the help of water trucks and tenders, they eventually won the battle.
Philip told me two words were the solution to past and perhaps future fire risks.
"Sprinkler systems... ha ha ha."
You can watch the KGUN 9 special here:
Old Tucson Fire: 30 Years Later
