Fire Serpent

Pick it up, pick it up.

Scotty, can you come over here and give me a hand?

Firecamp one to Dutch. Over.

This is Dutch. Over.

How's it looking out there, Dutch? Over.

Nothing worth looking at out here, boss. Over.

Thanks a lot.

Found an unburnt patch down by the lake.

That's sweet.

What's the status of the grid? Over.

The sucker's out. Didn't even make it down to the lake. Over.

All right, then, Dutch, you guys head back to the camp asap. Over.

I guess we should head back to camp.

Yeah, I guess so.

Hey, hotshot.

How'd you miss that?

Must've been hiding.

Do I always have to clean up after you?

Hey, Dutch. Come take a look at this.

What is it?

I don't know.

This is Dutch to Firebase One.

I need a medic. I need someone to help me.

Come in, come in.

That's not in the manual.

Yeah? Whatever works.

Command's moving to the king road station.

We need to haul our ass back to site one, try to catch a ride.

Ah, I hope the chow truck's still there.

Grab a burger for the road. I am starving.

You think they had this tough a time in sector 4?

I don't know. With the way the fire was jumping lines...

Yeah, I know. Have you ever seen anything like that?

It's a weird one. I mean, there were heavy winds,

but it's just been a weird day.

Not as weird as last Saturday at Smokey's.

Who was that girl, anyway?

It wasn't her, it was that guy she was with.

Oh, come on, Dave, she was cute but she was weird.

Really weird.

Oh, look at that. See, there is a God.

If there really was a God, they'd be serving cold beer.

There'll be plenty of time for that at Smokey's later on.

Watch her, boys, she's moody.

Hey, aren't they all?

Put it out.

- Come on. - Come on where?

- Just follow me. - We're gonna get arrested.

- So? - So, have you been to jail?

- Of course not. - No? Well, trust me, you won't like it.

- I want a fireman. - So do I, but not like this.

Gentlemen! Heather Allman...

Accunews at 11. - Yeah.

May I ask you a few questions for the viewers at home?

No.

- You? - Sorry. Smoke inhalation, laryngitis.

I can't speak.

Did you want me to roll on that?

So, you're a fireman, huh?

Yeah.

Your backpack's on fire.

- Yeah, right. - It is.

Oh, man.

Very nice. Very professional.

You want me to help you put that out?

It's supposed to be fireproof.

Oh, my.

Hey, how did you guys get past the police line anyway?

Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't think it applied to the press.

Yeah, it does. That's why there's a barricade.

Hey, whoa!

That is not news.

Ladies, let's take you over here where it is nice and safe.

Stupid thing.

Tough.

Holy...

What's going on?

- Hey. - Is there a problem?

Nah, it's all right, ma'am. Everything's under control.

I got it.

Hey, Dave, you want me to call a real fireman?

Hey. You missed all the fun.

I just saw the weirdest...

Dave!

We got no water pressure.

Dave!

Oh, are you getting this?

Yes, I'm getting it.

Hi.

I'm here with Chris Andrews from the National Fire Administration

at the scene of the third and largest flare-up in as many days.

Tell me, Chris, can you give us an update on this latest fire?

Uh, the fire is 80% contained,

but we are looking forward to full containment over the next 12 to 24 hours

if the weather continues to cooperate.

So is there still a threat to the community nearby?

We have evacuated the community 24 hours ago

and I am confident that people will be able to return

to their homes by morning, but due to the nature of this fire,

we are still considering it a fluid situation.

Speaking of fluid, with rain in the forecast,

a little of the wet stuff can't hurt.

We'll be praying for all the rain that we can get.

Well, that was the worst one I've seen, I tell ya.

Can I help you?

You must be Andrews.

And you must be in my office, Mr...

Cooke.

Agent Cooke.

Ok, I give up: What does this have to do with my department?

They didn't tell you?

That makes this awkward.

What's awkward, other than you being in my office?

I've been assigned from D.C.

We're viewing this fire as a national security threat.

Until the situation's under control,

you'll be reporting to me with regards to this fire.

I think I'm gonna have to speak to my director.

You just did.

Look, I deal with fires, you deal with terrorism.

Among other things, yes.

You can confirm my orders with Washington, if you'd like.

I'll do that. In any event, the fire's almost out,

so I think our association will be a short one.

Then you haven't heard.

I just recorded this.

We're live at the Sunny Acres housing development

where there has been yet another tragic outbreak of fire.

Authorities have yet to confirm that the source of this new outbreak...

What the hell happened?

at the firefighters' base camp, which exploded mysteriously.

Our surveillance team filmed this In the aftermath of the explosion.

Recognize him?

No.

I'm not cleared for this level.

I've already put the paperwork in the pipeline.

You'll be cleared.

His name's Dutch Fallon, and let's just say he's no stranger to fire.

Dutch Fallon's presence at this incident only confirms what I initially suspected.

Interesting. He's a career firefighter.

Was.

You think he's an arsonist?

Maybe you remember the Sand Hills fire back in '66.

One of the victims was his girlfriend.

They found him a half-mile from where the fire restarted.

Had no good explanation for how it began.

He's also been at the scene of several other major fires.

It's all in there.

Except for one thing.

What's that?

Not a single conviction.

The best ones know how to cover their tracks.

The fact that he was a firefighter makes it even easier.

Fallon's a whack job.

Paranoid, black-helicopter type.

We've had him under surveillance for years.

He shows up before the fire starts, then offers his services to help to fight it.

Three years ago, he dropped out of the system, as they say.

Pays no taxes, has no bank accounts,

lives essentially as a transient.

So what is it that you want me to do?

You read the news, Andrews.

We get involved here, the media screams terrorism.

NFA does it, the media profile stays more manageable.

Interested?

These dramatic images are still coming in tonight

from the Fairchild forest fire.

This fire, which was thought to be contained earlier this afternoon

has since spread east and tragically burned several homes

in the Sunny Acres housing development near King Road station.

As reported earlier today,

it's thought that the relatively contained fire reignited

with the explosion of a lunch wagon servicing firefighters

at what was a designated staging area.

Investigators from the National Fire Agency have yet to confirm the cause...

I don't think we need to see that again, huh?

It's unlikely the vehicle was ignited by a forest fire due to...

Sometimes the fire wins, Jake.

It wasn't a fire.

Ok.

You're right. It wasn't a fire.

Excuse me?

Heat, fuel and oxygen, classic triangle.

What a fire needs. What fire is.

But that's not what was out there today, was it?

I saw it too.

Saw what?

How long you been a firefighter?

Six years.

40 for me.

North Carolina, New York, Los Angeles County,

Brazil, Kuwait.

I've seen fire do things they never taught you at the academy.

Hiding in water-soaked walls like it was just waiting for you to leave.

Floating fireballs bouncing from one fuel source to the next.

But it's just fire.

Heat, fuel and oxygen.

Just fire.

Except when it's not.

When it's something else.