When confronted with the impossible task of cleaning the Augean stables in one day, Hercules rerouted the rivers Alpheus and Peneus and washed out the muck, winning himself half the king's livestock in the process.

Moore County's firefighters pulled off a similar task Sunday. When the effort to fight the massive fire at the old Robbins mill began to threaten the town's water supply, firefighters rerouted 1.2 million gallons of water from several area ponds and managed to extinguish the blaze.

Moore County Director of Public Safety Carlton Cole called it one of the largest fires in Moore County in years. Even that may not do it justice. This was a 300,000-square-foot building. If it wasn't the largest fire in Moore County's entire history, it's certainly in the running. The fire burned hot enough at its core to turn the building's I-beam skeleton into a heap of twisted metal.

Each of the 17 departments in the county sent equipment and firefighters to the mill. As the day wore on and the fight intensified, firefighters from four neighboring counties joined the battle. A total of 102 emergency units took part in the fight. Each of them worked tirelessly all day and even through the night to keep the fire from spreading and ultimately prevent it from flaring up again.

Each and every one of the firefighters, paramedics, rescue workers and American Red Cross volunteers deserves kudos for managing to save a portion of the building. The leadership shown that day was top notch. Firefighters surrounded the building to attack the fire from all sides. Tanker trucks sped in and out of the fire scene like bees delivering loads of nectar to the hive. All involved knew their jobs and accomplished them with purpose.

Hercules finished his labors by himself. But he's nothing but a myth. A true Herculean task can only be accomplished through the dedicated sense of cooperation that was so impressively on display Sunday in Robbins. Congratulations to everyone involved for a job well done.