Battalion Chief Brian Parks

Get out to the truck. Pulling out of the station and heading south, you could see a glow in the sky.

Get out to the truck. Pulling out of the station and heading south, you could see a glow in the sky.

The flames were looking up probably 40, 50 feet in the air in the area of the mountain preserves. A huge plume of smoke billows from the base of Piestewa Peak. Undisturbed desert is where it was. You get something in there, you're going to have a brush fire.

The flames were looking up probably 40, 50 feet in the air in the area of the mountain preserves. A huge plume of smoke billows from the base of Piestewa Peak. Undisturbed desert is where it was. You get something in there, you're going to have a brush fire.

Very limited access. Very, very dark. But you can see the glow the whole time, and you're just trying to get back there to get to work. Lee Benson's mansion, on the verge of completion, is engulfed in flames.

Very limited access. Very, very dark. But you can see the glow the whole time, and you're just trying to get back there to get to work. Lee Benson's mansion, on the verge of completion, is engulfed in flames.

The wall could collapse, and you don't want to be in the area where the wall falls on you or some of our equipment.

The wall could collapse, and you don't want to be in the area where the wall falls on you or some of our equipment.

Like a big lumberyard fire, basically. You're going to hear crackling, you're going to hear crashes and stuff like that. You can actually hear the wind moving too, because fire needs oxygen to burn. A strange howling sound pierces the air, as if the fire itself were alive. Out in an open environment, it's going to consume as much oxygen as it can, and it's going to grow fast.

Like a big lumberyard fire, basically. You're going to hear crackling, you're going to hear crashes and stuff like that. You can actually hear the wind moving too, because fire needs oxygen to burn. A strange howling sound pierces the air, as if the fire itself were alive. Out in an open environment, it's going to consume as much oxygen as it can, and it's going to grow fast.

Neighbors crowd around, craning their necks for a view of the destruction. When the fire was over, everything was burned. There was nothing left that wasn't burned in that house.

Neighbors crowd around, craning their necks for a view of the destruction. When the fire was over, everything was burned. There was nothing left that wasn't burned in that house.

There's nothing natural that could have started that fire other than somebody else doing it. In other words, arson.

There's nothing natural that could have started that fire other than somebody else doing it. In other words, arson.

All of a sudden, the lights kicked on the station. Waking up from a sound sleep, and it's kind of an adrenaline rush. Your heart starts pounding. You're breathing fast.

All of a sudden, the lights kicked on the station. Waking up from a sound sleep, and it's kind of an adrenaline rush. Your heart starts pounding. You're breathing fast.

Coming in there a second time, you have a really weird feeling of, why is this thing burning twice?

Coming in there a second time, you have a really weird feeling of, why is this thing burning twice?