Synopsis

When a prison escape coincides with a raging forest fire, smokejumper Jesse Graves is drawn into a deadly rescue mission. The escaped convicts have disguised themselves as firefighters while searching for millions of dollars hidden in the wilderness. As flames spread and the criminals close in, Jesse must protect trapped civilians, outwit the impostors, and survive an increasingly dangerous inferno.

Factoids & Trivia

• The screenplay began as Chris Soth's thesis project for the MFA Screenwriting program at USC.

• The project was originally developed by Savoy Pictures as a larger-scale action film. After Savoy went bankrupt, 20th Century Fox acquired the script and reworked it into a more contained production.

• Sylvester Stallone was reportedly offered $20 million to star during the Savoy Pictures period and accepted, but the planned version was never produced.

• Graham Yost contributed an uncredited production polish, while several other writers also worked on the screenplay.

• Filming took place from August 26 through November 29, 1996, in British Columbia and California, including Squamish, Vancouver, and Castaic.

• The movie marked Barry Pepper's first feature-film appearance.

• A veteran parachutist died during a helicopter stunt in British Columbia when his main parachute failed. The stunt was performed without complying with the conditions of the Canadian filming permit.

• The forest-fire imagery combined actual fire footage, miniature work, computer effects, and controlled burns.

• Released in the United States on January 9, 1998, the film earned approximately $8.2 million domestically against an estimated $19 million budget.