District No. 3 firefighter Craig Pimental piled hot coals onto two wooden boxes at the fire station before heading home around 1 a.m. on September 24. Each box had a 200-pound pig inside that had been slowly roasting at 250 degrees since 6:30 p.m. the night before.

Most years, the Fire District No. 3 pig roast attracts well over 200 people. The approximately 40 volunteers this year had cooked enough chicken, cornbread, beans, and applesauce to feed 300 guests.

“Everything is all homemade. They actually cut all the apples and peel all the potatoes,” said Pimental.

The pigs are bought directly from a farm in Plymouth and delivered to a butcher to be gutted before District No. 3 takes them. From there, volunteers stuff the pigs’ cavities with apples, onions, and Italian dressing, said Pimental. The pigs are slow roasted in a homemade box topped with coals until noonish, then pulled apart by hand and served.

“You lose a lot in the bones and grease and fat,” said Pimental. “It’s perfectly cooked and usually very, very moist.”

Most event-goers agreed that the food was the best part.

“The pork with the raspberry hot pepper sauce… got to be the best,” said Ann Bobola over a full plate.

Volunteer Lynne Pimental had a different view of the event, favoring the turnout. She said the best part of the pig roast is that the community comes together to support the fire department.

Chief Richard Arruda was also pleased with the firehouse full of guests. “I appreciate all the people coming out and supporting the firemen. All this money goes to a good cause,” he said.

The Paskamansett Engine Company — a nonprofit association comprised of current and former members of Fire District No. 3 — organizes the annual pig roast, and uses the proceeds from the $35 tickets, raffles, and T-shirts and drink sales to provide scholarships for high schoolers.

The event wouldn’t have been possible without the volunteers, said Craig Pimental.

"Everybody pitches in," he said.

Volunteer Ryan Bone was particularly excited about selling event T-shirts. “We’ve done really well. Everybody likes the gray,” he said, adding “I wish we had more mediums.”

Even the volunteers hovering over the hot pigs didn’t mind helping out.

“It’s hot when you pull it out. It almost hurts your hands,” smiled Andrew Baptiste, who wore heat-protecting gloves to pull apart the pig. Volunteers cooled their gloved hands by plunging them into nearby buckets of water, purposefully set up to help them handle the pig.

The department does not yet have the total raised by the events, but hopes to have finished calculating by the end of the week.