Sunday, January 15, 2012 In one of the largest fires in recent memory, Truck 579 and Engine 583 crews responded to 2 Mill Street in Cornwall to fight a massive, wind whipped fire in a large mill/industrial complex amid below freezing temperatures. Truck 579 with 5 went on scene taking up a position to protect a large 3 story mill building threatened by advancing fire and went into aerial ladder pipe operations in quick order once securing a water source. Several members searched building floors and forced doors with searches negative.  Engine 583 arrived shortly after, having been moved up from a standby assignment within the Village of Cornwall which had the crew of 6 investigate a report of a fire at the elementary school during its short duration. Once both crews were on scene they were requested to stretch a 2 ½ handline into the 2nd floor of a 3 story building on the complex which fire was advancing into. 350’ was advanced into the building before crews encountered a locked, rolldown steel door. As crews began an attempt to force entry, command, citing rapidly deteriorating conditions inside the hallway pulled all members out amid roof collapse concerns. Once on the exterior, crews advanced the line into the 3 story adjacent mill to hold flames from advancing through a wooden elevated causeway connecting the 2 structures. 583 and 579 handed off engine company duties to Highland Falls on the 2nd floor of the mill building and began to operate as a truck company with a request by command to strip the causeway of any combustibles that could fuel a quick advance of fire into the causeway and mill structure. All crew members utilizing hand tools and numerous saws went to work removing plywood, drywall and siding, stripping the causeway down to its metal skeleton. The fire failed to advance into the mill structure. Once complete, crews were split, assisting in opening up and operating handlines in numerous buildings over the next few hours. Both apparatus operators on scene assisted in water operations with 579 running its aerial ladder pipe and supplying 3 handlines.  A little over 6 hours into operating, command released both units and they returned to service by 8PM. During the incident, a fully staffed engine responded to a CO alarm sounding in the first due.