Where’s That Fire (1939) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

The criminals recognized that Viking's fire engine closely resembled the official fire engine used at the Tower of London. They planned to use the engine as cover for a fake film shoot, allowing them to get close to the Jewel Tower without raising suspicion. Their actual goal was to steal the Crown Jewels while disguised as firefighters responding to an emergency.

Foreshadowing: Earlier in the film, Viking's engine is featured in newspapers, which is how the criminals first learned of its existence and distinctive design.

• crown jewels heist
• tower of london
• criminals
• fire engine
• disguise

Harbottle was growing impatient waiting for his share of the money from the criminals. He hoped that creating a large, spectacular fire at a petrol station would force Viking to demonstrate their firefighting foam immediately, rather than waiting for a planned demonstration. His motivation was greed and frustration with the delayed payoff.

Foreshadowing: The timeline shows Harbottle grew impatient for money after the criminals hired the engine, setting the stage for his reckless plan.

• harbottle
• petrol station
• fire
• greed
• money

Viking arrived at the Tower of London believing the criminals' fake fire was a real emergency. He unleashed his foam across the entire area, completely flooding the scene. The foam disrupted the criminals' attempt to access the Jewel Tower and ruined their timing. When the real fire brigade and police arrived, the criminals were caught mid-heist, and their plan was completely foiled.

Foreshadowing: Viking's foam was originally created as an experimental firefighting solution that proved highly effective at extinguishing flames.

• foam
• crown jewels
• heist
• tower of london
• criminals caught

Viking initially refused the criminals' request to hire his engine for their fake film shoot. However, they offered him a bribe of £30 with the promise of an even larger payoff afterward. The generous amount convinced Viking to accept the arrangement, despite his initial wariness about getting involved with suspicious characters.

Foreshadowing: The criminals specifically sought out Viking after seeing his engine in newspaper reports, suggesting his vehicle had some notable characteristic that attracted their attention.

• viking
• bribe
• criminals
• engine
• film shoot

The criminals stole both the engine and the horse while Viking and his crew were dealing with the aftermath of the petrol station disaster. They took the engine to use it for their Crown Jewels heist and kept the horse hidden. The horse was later found wandering in Wapping, London, but the engine remained missing until Viking traced it to the Tower of London.

Foreshadowing: After the petrol station incident, Viking returns to find his fire station empty, with the engine and horse both vanished.

• engine
• horse
• stolen
• wapping
• criminals

After receiving an invitation from the London Fire Brigade to demonstrate their foam, Viking and his crew traveled to London. They traced their stolen engine directly to the Tower of London, where the criminals were preparing their heist. The trail led them straight to the location where the fake fire was being staged.

Foreshadowing: The discovery of the horse in Wapping provided a clue that the criminals had taken the engine into London.

• tower of london
• criminals
• traced
• engine
• london fire brigade

Viking and his crew were facing immediate dismissal after their disastrous attempt to control the petrol station fire. When the Mayor's house caught fire, it provided them with an unexpected opportunity to prove themselves by extinguishing a real blaze. This gave them a brief reprieve from being sacked, though their previous failures still loomed over them.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, Viking was warned he would be sacked if he failed to extinguish a real fire successfully.

• mayor
• house fire
• sacked
• reprieve
• dismissal

Viking accidentally created the firefighting foam during his experiments in London while trying to modernize his firefighting methods. He was conducting various tests and demonstrations with his crew, and the foam was an unintended result of mixing different chemicals. The London fire department became interested in the formula after witnessing its effectiveness.

Foreshadowing: The timeline shows Viking engaging in dangerous experiments in London intended to improve firefighting efficiency.

• foam
• invention
• viking
• experiments
• london fire department

The criminals staged a fake fire at the Tower of London to create a diversion that would draw away the guards and allow them access to the Jewel Tower. By creating the appearance of an emergency, they hoped to enter the tower under the guise of responding to a fire, making their theft of the Crown Jewels appear legitimate.

Foreshadowing: The criminals needed a way to bypass security at the Tower, and a fake emergency was their solution.

• fake fire
• tower of london
• diversion
• jewel tower
• criminals