On May 31, 2025, at 2:28 PM, numerous calls began to pour into the emergency communications center in Saratoga County for 42 Gates Avenue the Victory Mills. Numerous callers reported the building to be heavily involved. The Victory Mills Fire Department was dispatched to the scene. The first chief to call in route to the scene immediately notified the dispatcher that he had heavy smoke showing from a great distance away to dispatch the Middle Falls Fire Department for an engine tanker and the Saratoga Springs Fire Department for the FAST team, Greenwich Fire Department for a ladder company, Quaker Springs for an engine tanker, and the Greenfield Fire Department for a tower to the scene. The heavy black smoke pushing from the Victory Mill was visible from over 5 miles away in the afternoon sky even through the rain. On arrival the chief had heavy fire showing from a five story Mill style structure with fire pushing from every window end to end of the building along with an exposure building on fire. Command immediately transmitted the second and third alarm bringing numerous resources to the scene.

With heavy fire pushing from the structure and heavy rain coming down the heat quickly from the structure could be felt up to 200 feet away from the building. County coordinators and fire investigators were immediately dispatched to the scene. As the first arriving units arrived on scene, they began to set up drop tanks for water supplies and hook into the nearby fire hydrant as this was going to be a significant operation. The first arriving truck company on scene immediately set up in the parking lot outside of the collapse zone and began to extend up to the fourth floor of the structure. As firefighters were doing so significant portions of the building that had already burned through began to collapse. Firefighters laid in from another fire hydrant nearby and command requested a tanker relay to be established from a nearby site. Numerous tankers from Washington County and Saratoga County were dispatched to the scene.

As additional truck companies arrived on scene they set up in front of the structure and deployed their ladders, firefighters deployed multiple 2 1/2-inch hand lines with blitz fires on them to the front of the structure. Firefighters on scene utilized defensive tactics and began to hit the heavy fire in the building. As multiple ladder companies quickly went into work, the water supply on scene quickly diminished as the towns hydrant system was not able to keep up with the significant demand needed. Firefighters ran out of water multiple times on scene as the multiple truck companies on scene were utilizing over 2000 gallons per minute. Lines of tankers would arrive in groups and fill the portable ponds set up on scene and firefighters would go back to work knocking down a significant portion of the fire. Firefighters that were utilizing the blitz fires in the front of the building encountered numerous restrictions due to the overgrowth on the property, but firefighters adapted and overcome and began to quickly cut down the trees that were obstructing the master streams making it more efficient for firefighters too get water to the heavily involved areas of the structure.

As firefighters were working on scene, significant portions of the building began to collapse sending large columns of black smoke and embers into the sky. With heavy rain on scene, firefighters were soaked head to toe. At the tanker site firefighters established a system and were able to keep a steady line of tankers flowing 8000 gallons at a time to the scene every few minutes. Fire Investigator’s on scene began to investigate the fire and quickly began to follow leads as the building did not have power or utilities hooked up to it. Firefighters on scene continued to utilize the master streams from the truck companies to hit the heavy fire conditions still inside of the building. As a significant portion of the heavy fire condition began to dissipate, a large concrete shell of the building with a significant number of debris burning in the center of the structure remained.

While fire investigators were working on scene, they were able to locate the teenagers that had started the fire, and those teenagers were brought in for questioning and arrested. The Saratoga County Sheriff's Office charge two juveniles with Larson in the third degree a classy felony in criminal trespassing in the second degree a class a misdemeanor after the investigation into the fire at the Mills in the village of victory Mills. They are accused of initially damaging a building by starting a fire and knowingly and unlawfully remaining in the building Which was fenced in or otherwise enclosed in a manner designed to exclude intruders. Both juveniles were released to their parents pending further action within the Saratoga County probation. The two juveniles will appear in family court to face their charges.

Firefighters on scene continued to work around the clock until the late evening hours before they were released. Over 100 firefighters assisted on scene battling the fire along with 23 pieces of apparatus were utilized. Firefighters were called back the next day for hotspots as construction crews were brought in to demolish the building. Firefighters utilized a truck company to reach across the collapsed area and hit the hotspots. Firefighters spent over 16 hours on scene before fully returning to service. No injuries were reported on scene. The fire department expressed their gratitude to all of the residence and local businesses that donated food, drinks, canopies and offered support in many different ways while the incident was going on.

Multiple agencies provided invaluable assistance during the fire response, including Quaker Springs Volunteer Fire Department, Schuyler Hose Company, Gansevoort Volunteer Fire Department, Wilton Fire Department, Maple Avenue Fire Company, Saratoga Springs Fire Department, Arvin Hart Fire Company, Malta Ridge Volunteer Fire Company, Stillwater Fire Department, South Glens Falls Fire Company, Middle Falls Fire Department, Greenwich Fire Department, Easton Volunteer Fire Company, Salem Volunteer Fire Department Inc., Argyle Fire Department, Fort Edward Fire Department, Wilton Emergency Medical Services, Easton-Greenwich Rescue Squad, Saratoga County Office of Emergency Management, Washington County Office of Emergency Management Coordinators, Saratoga County Sheriff's Office, New York State Police, Saratoga County Public Safety's Cause and Origin Team, New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control's Fire Investigators, Town of Saratoga Highway Department, and Saratoga County DPW.