BOSTON -- The city of Worcester is observing a somber anniversary. Thursday marks 10 years since the fire that claimed the lives of six of the city's firefighters.

NewsCenter 5's Bianca de la Garza spoke to the fire chiefs who were there that night.

"Things went bad at 6:45 when we got the first distress call and we searched round after round after round," Worcester Fire Department Chief Michael McNamee said.

Six firefighters were missing, the Worcester Cold Storage Warehouse was engulfed and the decision to stop searching fell upon McNamee.

"His gear was so hot it was steaming. He was at the base of stairs. You know you're sending good after bad," McNamee said. "I took a full minute and said, 'that's it. No more. It's over. It's over."

The Dec. 3, 1999 fire was started by two homeless people who were inside the building. Later there would be charges filed, but in the end, they received probation.

Chief Gerard Dio remembers heading to scene, thinking everything would be OK.

"I could hear them on the radio. I thought, 'We'll get them out,'" he said.

"I think there's a certain healing that goes on," Chief Walter Giard said.

Giard said the memories are fresh 10 years later.

"I remember every day that I was here, what I did. I see it all the time, whether I want to or not," he said.

The site of the Worcester Cold Storage and Warehouse is now a fire station that includes a memorial to the fallen firefighters.

A bell is scheduled to be rung at the station at 6:13 p.m. Thursday, the time the first alarm rang on Dec. 3, 1999.