 Ranger Bill, warrior of the woodland, struggling against extreme odds, traveling dangerous trails, fighting the many enemies of nature. This is the job of the guardian of the forest, Ranger Bill, pouring rain, freezing cold, blistering heat, snow, floods, bears, rattlesnakes, mountain lions. Yes, all this in exchange for the satisfaction and pride of a job well done. The weather is warm around knotty pine, unseasonably warm. In the southern part of the state, the snow is melted and the forests are dry, tinder dry. A weather change is coming across the south end of the state. A cold front is trying to push its way through. The warm front resists and the warm and cold air mix it up but good. A huge out-of-season thunderhead forms. The storm giant rises 30,000 feet into the air. Suddenly the monster lashes out at the dry forests with bolts of lightning. Savagely, rangers and their fire towers hold their breaths because they know what this savage attack of lightning could mean. The raging monster stops its fury for a minute, as if gathering all its strength for the final punch. Then the haymaker comes racing out of the sky, a blinding streak of fire. Rangers watch with eyes filled with apprehension. The smoke begins to rise skyward. The rangers jump to their instruments to make a fix and grab their phones. Hello, Kurt. That last one did it. Splashed fire all over the valley. Get the boys rolling. Kurt, there are three fires from what I can see here. One at f6, the second at h3, and the third at c15. That last ball really slapped at us hard. Hello, Kurt. I can count half a dozen fires now. Remember that 90-foot tree we used for landmark? Well, it's gone. Fire. Forest fire. Six separate blazes. Three more makes nine. Then one makes ten. Ten fires in a dry forest with a good wind fanning the fire like a bellows. Soon Bill and his rangers are going to be right in the thick of the biggest forest fire they've ever fought. And for one of them it's almost the last one. Right now the fellows are gathered around the teletype machine at Ranger Headquarters in Naughty Pine. Oh, sonny. That theropole of lightning kicked up 10 fires. Those boys downstate are going to have their hands full, I'm afraid. Look here. Position of fire show 25 square miles covered. Well, it'll be 50 before they can do anything about it, Gray Wolf. I'll get it. Ranger Headquarters, Bill Jefferson speaking. Bill, this is Kurt Douglas. Oh, yes, Kurt. How are things down there? Pretty bad, huh? Yeah. We'll come down right away, Kurt. How much help do you need? We'll start loading the flat cars right away. Get going as soon as the train's loaded. All right, sounds good. All right, Joe. Pull your bulldozer up on that car and bring it forward so Matt can bring his behind you. Okay. Matt, you follow him up on the flat car. Okay. All right, David. Here's a message from Colonel Anders, Bill. Just came in over the teletype. I wonder what the old boy'll have to say. He wants you to take charge of fighting the fire. That's going to change then. What do you mean, Bill? You and I are to fly down. That means we'll have to get hold of Gray Wolf and Stumpy and put them in charge of the train. You fellas understand what you are to do now? Ah, we do. Me too, sonny. We'll have this here train flying down the track in no time at all. Good, Stumpy. Be sure you set up radio contact right away after you started. Henry'll keep you posted on developments. All right, let's go. Hey, Kurt. Gene, how long you been running? You better sit down and rest before you have a heart attack. Later. Later. Listen, people in Silver Springs and Claytown are trapped. They can't get out now. We can't get in. I just come from as close by as we could get. Are you sure about this, Gene? You think I'd run all this way if I wasn't? Well, no, I guess you wouldn't. What can we do? I can't send the men through a wall of fire. If only Bill and his men were here. You've got it. At least try to help those tap folks. There's women and children in there too. Huh, don't you think I know it? What would you suggest? Send the men through in asbestos suits. They'd never make it. An exploding or falling tree would get every one of them. If they did get in, how'd they get the people out? Yeah, how? All we can do is stand by and let them burn. I don't know, Gene. Right now I wish my name was Solomon. Look at the size of that fire, will ya? That's the biggest one we've ever fought, I'm afraid, pal. We fought some pretty tough ones, too. I'll see if you can contact Kurt on the radio. All right. Bill Jefferson calling Kurt Douglas. Bill calling Kurt. Come in, Kurt. Over. Bill, am I glad you're here. We're fighting a losing battle. Silver Springs and Claytown are cut off with no hope or rescue. My men are spread so thin along the line you can see through them. I need help. Proto. Over. Kurt, I'm going to fly over Silver Springs and Claytown and see what can be done to get those people out of there. I think we can land helicopters on the main street, take the folks out that way. Then I'm going to look over the rest of the fire and land about where you are now. Have a look at that clearing, will ya? Make sure there aren't any hidden logs. Over. We'll do. Thanks, Bill. You don't know how grateful I am that you came down here to take charge. I was almost at my wit's end. I'll be waiting over and out. Henry, call the helicopter base and tell them to stand by with every flying banana they've got. Check. Then we'll go over and have a look at Silver Springs and Claytown. Y'all speed we can get. Yep. You're talking machine setup? Yes, sir. Box. You ain't gonna stop us here, train, are ya? Doctor, right away. Frisk in traction. We gotta get to the fire. And bananas can land on the main street, all right, Bill? Yeah, I'm sure they won't have any trouble, Henry. Well, look at those poor people waving at us. I'll call the copter base and tell them to take off. You got the bullhorn ready to announce that rescue is on the way. How long do you think it'll take the copters to get here? Oh, 20 minutes. Bill Jefferson calling copter base. Ranger Bill calling copter base. Take off. Take off. Let me have your reply. Copter base calling, Bill. Copter base calling, Bill. The boys are lifting from the get to town in 20 minutes. Thanks for your help. Over and out. Attention, please. In 20 minutes, helicopters will land on your main street for rescue. Keep off the street where the copters are landing. There will be enough room for everybody. Gumps, Bill. He's got good news about the two towns. What sure he has, Gene? There's one ranger who knows his business. The copters are landing now and taking the boat shot. What a look from the air. Pretty bad, Kurt. Lightning really spliced fire all over. Henry, you use the plane radio and find out where Stumpery and Grey will fire with the train. All right. I'll be glad when reinforcements get here. I better get tired. I can understand, Gene. You got heavy equipment, too. You got the map? Yeah. Here it is. Take just a few minutes to draw the firefronts in. Then we can see just where we are. Now step inside, man. Close door, please. Hello, Henry. You try and get us long. Train have hotbox and we stop for hour to let axle cool. Train just start again now. Wow. That's tragic. We need your fellas back. About four hours, Henry. We've got a good idea of the size of the fire. It was bad, but not this bad. Yeah. How many men have you got fighting now, Kurt? Ninety-five. Not nearly enough. I should say not. Hey, Bill. Bill, I just talked with Stumpery and Grey Wolf. Well, soon they'll be here, Henry. Four hours. Four hours? What kind of train have they got? One of the cars threw a hotbox and they had to wait an hour to cool it. Henry, four hours from now the fire is liable to be halfway across the state. That train's got a hundred and fifty men and heavy equipment that I could use right now. Can't use helicopters this time. That's right. But we're going to give it the old college try just the same. You got some ideas, Bill? Yeah. Now listen closely. This might work if the wind doesn't shift. Go ahead, Bill. Anything's better than standing around here with our hands in our pockets. Kurt, pull your men off the left flank and take them up this valley. Work your way up this ridge and cut a fire lane as you go. That'll hold the fire on the left flank. Right. Now, Gene, take your men and do the same thing on this ridge over here. I get your idea, Bill. We'll have the fire hemmed in on both flanks. That's the idea. Meanwhile, Henry and I will take the rest of the men, work our way around in front, and try to backfire. I'm not sure we can do it in this wind, but at least we'll have the fire hemmed in on both sides. Let's get a move on, Gene. Right. See you later, Bill. Okay, fellas. Hey, Bill, why the peculiar look on your face? Well, I didn't mention it, Henry, but I'm scared to death of a wind shift. This cold front moving in could do it and at the wrong time. You're thinking of a trap? Yeah. Kurt and his men would have a bad time of it if the wind shifted. What do we do? You stay with the plane. Keep the radio open. I'll take the pack radio. Okay. You think you can get the plane off that cow pasture? Bill, I'll try my best. Try my best to get there. What's the matter? What's happened, Henry? The wind shifted. What do we do about Kurt and his men? Should I take off? No. They haven't had time to get to the ridge. We've got to go after them. Oh, what do we do now, Bill? That wind changes driving the fire. Right towards the forest and not... Well, there's nothing you're going to do right now, Kurt. Pull the men back. They look exhausted. All right, boys. We're going to get out of here. Mike, fresh air. Nothing we can do now. I'll call Gene. This boy's into... They're wasting their time now. The fire is taking the left flank by storm. Get you all right. Henry, find out how the boys in the middle sector are doing. Bring them back with you before they drop dead. People sharp-firing the fire, Henry. Let's get back to the radio truck. Count noses. All your men here, Kurt? Yeah, except those in the middle sector. They'll come back with Henry. Beat some of the men. And how? Two men at fractured angles, six serious burns, 12 with minor burns. And the rest are exhausted and half-blind from the smoke, ashes, and the wind. Oh, it's a mess, all right. We're going to have a fighting chance the way the fire started. Ten of them at one crack. Yeah, I know. Hey, here comes Henry and the rest of the boys. And they got casualties, too. Henry's hitting this wind. I'm out of luck on his face. He's got bad news. Can he get any worse? Okay, let's have it, pal. Hey, Bill, the fire's jumped the river and it's cutting around the mountain up ahead. Great scot. Well, that's completely out of control. Looks that way. Not yet, men. We're going to stop it. Wow. I don't see how you could do it now, Bill. We're going to make our stand on top of that wooded mountain. We? How are we going to get up there to make the stand, Bill? Not your men, Kurt. The firejumpers are going to fight this battle. Sure do, Bill. We'll bring all the dynamite we can. That's fine, Thad. Get your firejumpers rolling over and out. All right, lads. Let's get to the planes. This is the third time they've circled. They usually jump on the second pass. Maybe something's wrong upstairs, Bill. Yeah, that's what I was thinking. We'll soon find out. Bill, Bill, we can't jump on that mountain top. The fire's completely surrounded it. That's right, Thad. That's at the foot of the mountain. You've got the whole top to land your men and gear on. That's right, Bill. The only hitch is that the fire's creeping like mad up the mountain from both sides. It's a death trap. Thad, what are you talking about? That's no death trap. Set your dynamite charges and blow the sides of the mountain down on the fire. That'll divide the fire and roll it back. Then we can put it out with the ground crews. You jumped into situations like this before? Not when we've been surrounded by fire, Bill. What's more, the men refuse to jump. They say it's sure death. It will be if you fellas don't stop arguing. Now get out of that plane and set up the explosives. That's an order. It won't budge. Any suggestions? Yes. Land your plane and the clearing next to us. I'll show those fellas how to jump into that fire and how to come out alive, too. I assure you should make the jump. Pretty dangerous. And you can't fight the fire alone. I don't intend to, pal. I'm going to lead the fire jumpers down onto the top of that mountain. Bill, we're all aware that you've saved the day many a time by quick thinking and close timing. But you're taking an awful chance this time. Kurt, it's natural for the men to refuse to take an uncalculated risk. I'll buy that. But since when have I ever ordered men into a death trap? When did I ever expand human lives like Cracker Jack? You're doing it now, boss. Well, so it's you, Ren. You're the one leading this mutiny, huh? Yeah, and one of it. The rest of these guys ain't got the nerve to stand up against you. But I ain't jumping into that death trap for nobody, not even you. Not even if I jump first, Ren? Yeah, you could jump 50 times and that wouldn't convince me. The idea is to come out alive. Granted. And how about the two big towns on the other side of the mountain? There are hundreds of people in there who haven't got a chance. If the fire gets past the mountain, it'll sweep right into those homes in half a day. The fire will spread a hundred miles wide. We couldn't possibly get all those citizens evacuated. Oh, Red. How about that? You've got to have a conscience. I got a conscience all right. And don't let me murder the men I've been working with for years. I think Red's right, Bill. It's too risky. There. I've got something to chip in here. What's the matter with you guys? Bill's only trying to do the job he's promised to do. Remember the oath you fellas took when you came into the ranger service? We never promised to sacrifice our lives to be willfully murdered, Red. You'd better read the oath over again. Our job is to protect human lives and private and public property, even if it does cost us our lives. I challenge any man here to name the time I ever led or ordered him into a death trap, knowing that it was such when we went in. While you fellas stand here blocking, hundreds of trees are burning that could be saved. The fire's getting wilder and more uncontrolled every minute we waste here. Thad, what do you say? I'll jump with you, Bill. Don't listen to him, fellas. The bosses are all scheming up against us. They'd kill us to make their own name look good. Red Smith, you get into that plane with the rest of the fire jumpers or face immediate dismissal from the ranger service. Why, I could have your badge right now for the slanderous remarks you made. Now, either you're a man and willing to live up to your oath or you're not a man. And if you're not a man, the ranger service has no further need of your services. I'll get this trade, Red Smith, and get it real straight. I order you and the rest of the fire jumpers onto that mountaintop. You will follow me out of the plane. And if you don't want to take my orders, then say so and get out right now. You're the boss. I'll jump. Thad, there's no time to waste. We'll jump on the first pass over the mountain. We've already lost precious time. We can't do the job the way I wanted to. We'll plant the dynamite right in the shot-proof boxes. Be sure the lids are torn off. Then we'll head for a cave about a thousand yards up the mountain. I know right where it is. Okay, Bill, I understand. Stand by! Let's go! Down into that furnace. I sure hope Bill isn't making a mistake. If Red hadn't taken up so much time, the fellas would have a better chance. Come in an hour and we'll know what happened. I guess everybody has to make a mistake once in a while. Only this one may cost Bill his life and those under him. Ah, I agree. Nobody lives long on that mountaintop. All the crates buried, Thad? Yeah, the tops are torn open too. Now let's run for the cave. A thousand yards straight ahead. I'll bring up the rear to be sure all the men get there. Okay, Bill. On the double! Come on! Step on it, Ben! This thing's gonna crowd in ten minutes! We got them all, Thad? Thirty of them, Bill. We'll each keep watch over half. Okay. Make them lie down on the floor of the cave. Won't be long now, Thad. They're gonna die either. Let us, boss! Unite! Foul! Shut up, you! The first man that tried to get the bullet through his leg. I thought you were an oversight, Ben. Not anymore, I'm not. We're in this together and we're gonna keep in it for good. Thanks, Red. And don't worry. We're all coming out together too. We're gonna pass out. I think... I think you made a mistake. Boss, right or wrong, I followed orders. I kept my oath. Hang on a bit longer, Ben. The dynamite's going off in a second. Any second now. Ben, outside! Where they can breathe, flesh out again, more smooth. And the whole story out. What? You fellas are heroes. Hey, you gave the papers that story. We were just doing our job. They've got no right to put something out. I know, Bill. Yep, I gave them the story. But why, man? All for the simple reason that anybody who can figure as close as you did, get the job done and come out alive. Well, he deserves some credit. That's all I gotta say. We'll see you next week for more adventure with... Hey there, boys and girls. This is Ranger Bill back again for just a third of a minute with an extra word of thanks to you for joining us today. Hope you'll team up with the Rangers every week at this time. When your local station gives us this chance to get together. See you then.