I woke up from my uncomfortable nap with the sound the siren booming against my ears. Taking it was a bad decision in the first place, the bed, if I could even call it that, was rock solid and made my back hurt. I knew I would have ended up more tired than I did before but I just couldn't resist closing my eyes and resting for a while.

Luckily, I didn't undress from the uniform like most of people do when taking naps in the firehouse. All I had to do to get to work is put on my boots and heavy protection gear. In these 8 months since I started working as a firefighter I still hadn't manage to get used to how heavy and hot the gear was. But it's a way better offer than suffering from severe burns or broken limbs.

I ran to meet up Haymitch, who was the main commander here in the District 12 Firehouse station. He barely did any field work anymore, he mostly hanged around making sure everything worked correctly and managing the practice drills. Although when he did go outside I feared he might do more harm than good, because the his breath smells like booze all of the time, and he probably shouldn't be around fires. But I can understand why he drinks so much, the many years he has working as a firefighter has made him see ugly things that can't be erased from your mind so easily.

"Haymitch what's the emergency?" I asked while fixing my helmet over my head.

"Apparently some dumb kids were getting drunk and smoking in an abandoned warehouse and forgot that they were surrounded by paper and textile. Long story short, it's on fire."

"Is anyone still inside?"

"From what we know so far, no. It looks like a simple situation, the fire didn't spread to the back of the warehouse or the shops next to it, but if we don't get there soon the fire will spread and building will collapse. So the strategy is to put out the out the fire as fast as possible and make sure no one is inside. You got that?" he asked eyeing me with the serious expression he only had when he wanted to make a point.

"Yes sir."

I left Haymitch without another word and directed myself to the entry on the firehouse. Two fire trucks were waiting outside. Everyone is packed and ready and standing next to the trucks. When I got to my truck I noticed that someone was missing. Cato. Like always.

"Where is Cato?" I asked just in time to see him leaving the door while adjusting his pants. "Cato were you in there with Clove again?!"

Clove was one of the only female firefighters we had here in District 12 and one of the slutiest women I ever met. Although she worked hard and was better than half the men here.

"You know it Peet" he said winking at me.

"For heavens sake Cato do that somewhere else! Now get you shit together and lets go." I said bitterly. He opened his mouth so say something in reply but when he saw Haymitch coming outside, he shut right up.

"What are y'all still doing here? GO!" he growled.

He didn't need to say that twice. Everyone rushed inside the trucks while these roared to life. Within seconds both trucks were on the road heading to the burning warehouse. I could hear Cato bragging about his alone time with Clove and it was pissing me off. Every time they were both on duty it was the same damn thing. The only reason he didn't get fired yet is because we were understaffed.

Like everyone who worked in the firehouse I was fed up with it.

"Man, I swear Clove is so–"

"Cato shut up! This is not the time." Thresh snapped from his place behind the stirring wheel. Before anyone could say anything else we saw it. In the end of the street, the bright orange color illuminating everything. I heard the crackling fire accompanied by screams of panic.

I jumped from the truck and headed over to the parked ambulance. I saw three teenagers wrapped up in blankets inside it. They all looked at me with faces of relief and fear.

"Are you all okay?" I asked sizing them over, they didn't look older than 16. What on earth were they thinking?

"I… We didn't mean…" the chubby blond girl started sobbing and trying to talk to me at the same time, which only resulted in confusion, I turn to the boy who sat next to her.

"Are you all okay?" I asked again hopping for a better answer.

"Yes. We're okay." He said. The chubby girl looked up from her sobbing fit and glared at the boy with a terrified look.

"No we are not! How can you say that? We don't know where Kelly is! She can still be inside! Oh my God, what have we done!" she begun sobbing once more.

"Wait, there is someone inside?"I asked.

"I… we don't know. Kelly was with us before the fire started, but then she said he has to go do something and we didn't see her since. She might have come outside to get some air. We don't know." The boy murmured while staring down at his hands.

"If she in there we will find her. Now calm down and take care of you friend. And don't ever, ever pull something like this again. Got it?"

"Yes sir." He said. "Please find her."

I left them and headed over to the front of the warehouse were Thresh and the crew already started to put out the fire. The entry has already been put out, but if there is someone inside they won't last until it was all extinguished. Someone had to go in. And that someone was me.

"Thom!" I call after Thom who is one of the few who were not dealing with the hoses.

"Yeah?" he says while grabbing a ladder from the side of the truck. "I think I might be better to climb this and use the high pressure hose the get the water to the second floor faster" he said.

"Yeah that's a good idea. But listen, I think there is someone inside. So I'm going to go inside to be sure it's clear."

"And you are going in there alone? That's crazy Peeta!"

"No it is not. We need as many people as possible out here handling the fire and making sure it doesn't spread. I'm going in. It will be fine." I answered in a calm tone.

"No way, I'm going with you." He declared.

"No. You are not. You are going to stay here and do what you are meant to do, which is climbing that ladder and hosing the second floor. And I will go inside. Simple."

"Dude. You can't just…ugh. Fine. Have it your way you insane bastard."

"Alright then." I said giving him a wry smile.

I go to the truck and grabbed a hammer just in case I needed to break my way through anything. Pulling my mask down and adjusting my hat I headed over to the entrance of the burning warehouse.