Firestorm

In northern Wyoming, smokejumper Jesse Graves and his mentor Wynt Perkins battle a raging forest fire. They locate a girl whose mother pleads for help at a burning cabin and pull her to safety. A travel trailer from an explosion injures Wynt, but Jesse frees him and completes the rescue.

The injuries from the explosion force Wynt to retire from active duty. He struggles with the idea of a 'full' retirement because his pension is inadequate. Jesse supports him as they confront a new, uncertain future.

Months later, a group of inmates stages an escape with an outside arsonist who lights a forest fire to lure fire crews. The plan aims to trap firefighters and give the prisoners a chance to slip away. Randall Alexander Shaye, who once stole $37 million and hid it in the woods, joins the escape toward the money.

Shaye eliminates his cellmate and impersonates him as he and the other escapees move toward the money stash. The group poses as Canadian firefighters to blend in and pursue their goal. The tension builds as trust breaks within the ranks.

The escapees abduct Jennifer, a bird watcher, and force the situation while continuing to search for the hidden money. They travel under the guise of emergency responders to avoid suspicion. Unbeknownst to them, a separate fire is burning nearby.

A forest fire started by a lightning strike a week earlier burns independently, complicating efforts to reach Jennifer and the money. The two fires threaten to merge and consume any chance of safety for everyone involved. The stage is set for a deadly showdown in the woods.

Jesse realizes that the 'firefighters' are convicts, turning a rescue mission into a hunt. He resolves to stop Shaye and rescue Jennifer, racing against a firestorm that could kill them all. The pursuit ramps up as the trail of deception tightens.

Shaye starts eliminating his fellow escapees, killing Wilkins and Karge to consolidate control of the money. The group's cohesion collapses as paranoia and greed take over. Jesse's plan to foil them grows more urgent with each loss.

Shaye discovers the money was destroyed in the fire, removing a key incentive. He pushes Loomis off a cliff to fake an accident and shoots Packer when a spring trap set by Jesse catches him. The criminal timeline tightens as threats accumulate.

Wynt arrives in time to stop a bus full of prisoners and firefighters who are being forced inside at gunpoint. He hotwires the bus and drives it away to safety, orchestrating a crucial escape under deadly pressure. The rescue shifts to a mobile fortress amid collapsing flames.

Jesse confronts Wynt and learns that the fire was started to benefit a land developer's plan for a firefighter training school, though Wynt says he did not know about the prison break. Jesse forgives him and vows to keep the truth secret from their friends. The moral weight of the event bonds them in crisis.

Wynt confronts Shaye on a boat and shoots him in the leg, paying with his own life in the process. Shaye remains a threat, but the moment sets the stage for the ultimate defeat. The river of fire rages around them as they struggle to survive.

Jesse wins the upper hand and shoves Shaye's head through a hole under the boat, burning him to death. Jennifer and Jesse use the boat as an air pocket to avoid drowning while the firestorm devours the area. Bullets crack from below as they fight to survive.

Heavy rainfall finally drowns out the wildfires and allows Jesse and Jennifer to swim to shore where they await rescue. Jennifer is joyful to discover that the eggs she carried have hatched, offering a glimmer of hope after the disaster. The couple looks toward a safer future.