Transcription
In Paradise, Kevin drives the school bus around town to drop off all the kids at their homes. Afterward, he takes the bus to the depot where he asks dispatcher Ruby for more shifts since he needs to pay for his dead father's medical bills. Unfortunately, Ruby doesn't have anything for him for now.
When Kevin gets home, he gets a call from the vet with the latest test results. His dog's cancer is spreading, so it's time to say goodbye. Then, Kevin picks up his old dog and enters the house, only to learn from his mother that his son Shawn refused to go to school. Kevin scolds him for ignoring his education, but Shawn says he isn't feeling well and plays loud music to ignore his father's concerns. A furious Kevin snaps and yells, so Shawn tells him that he hates him and he wishes he were dead. A devastated Kevin has to leave the room to cry in private.
Later that day, Kevin takes his dog to the vet and holds him while he's given an injection to put him down mercifully. The next morning, the wind begins blowing quite strongly and makes a piece fall from a transmission tower. This causes several sparks that soon reach the grass. Thanks to the wind, it doesn't take long for the sparks to grow into a fire that quickly spreads. A trucker on the road sees this and calls the emergency line. Two fire trucks immediately rush to the area only to realize the usual road doesn't go up there. They have no choice but to take a very narrow mountain road that can't handle their weight, so they drive carefully and slowly. This gives the fire more time to grow and spread. Since they can't find an access point on this road either, they'll have to go back and find a new strike point.
Meanwhile, Kevin goes to work and keeps texting Shawn, but he won't answer. After he drops off all the kids, his mother calls him to tell him that Shawn has been throwing up and has a fever, so he hadn't been lying. Kevin has to stop for gas, so he promises to call her again soon. Unfortunately, Kevin ends up wasting a lot of time just waiting because of a long line. Ruby calls him to scold him for taking so long and makes him bring the bus to the depot.
Now, as Kevin drives as fast as possible, he sees the smoke in the distance. He stops at the pharmacy anyway and gets some medicine only to get a call from his ex-wife. She's talked to Shawn and he wants to go back to her house, but she's leaving with her new boyfriend on a vacation tonight. Kevin promises to take care of it and hangs up.
Soon, more firemen gather to discuss the situation. The fire is around 300 acres and the wind has pushed it down the canyon. There's a small town of 800 people that they should warn, but Paradise is far, so they should be fine. Unfortunately, a second fire is found 3 miles away from the first one, which has caused a power outage. A firefighter gets to the small town and reports heavy smoke and blowing embers 5 miles from the original fire. So, the spread is worse than they thought. Several fire spots are starting all over the place, and people are panicking. The man is losing visibility pretty fast, too. The chief realizes that this is all one huge fire, so they need to start evacuating immediately. The fireman runs around town, getting people out of their houses as fast as possible. Some people are so desperate to leave that they aren't driving responsibly, and cars keep crashing. Those without cars are taken to the fireman's truck. Flames are already close enough for several people to have burns. Once everyone is in a vehicle, the firefighter starts a convoy by making the locals follow him out of town. Eventually, the air tankers arrive and start spreading flame retardant in the area. However, because of the strong wind, it's almost impossible to aim correctly and hit the right target. The chief asks them to fly over and try again. He also keeps calling neighboring cities to ask for more fire trucks. The convoy has trouble advancing since visibility is almost zero and there isn't enough space to drive through without touching the flames. More cars crash as they stop at the same time and people get out to continue the journey on foot. As the locals run to jump into the creek, a man catches on fire and a neighbor helps him by throwing a blanket on him. The fireman keeps asking for support on the radio since burnover is imminent. The fire trucks are trying to enter the area, but they keep finding obstacles in the roadway and eventually they can't advance anymore. The air tankers are doing a second run. However, the flame retardant is having no impact at all. When the burnover finally reaches the creek, the fireman makes everyone dive in to protect themselves right before the flames fly above them. The chief and the main team worry because they lost contact with them, but thankfully the fireman calls them after a few minutes. They're alive, but several people have burn injuries. He also warns them that the fire's speed is critical, so it'll reach Paradise after all.
Meanwhile, the birds are flying away from the fire and almost make Kevin crash when they cross the road. He changes lanes to let the police and two fire trucks pass and notices that the smoke is getting worse. Then he calls Shawn and leaves a message apologizing for their argument. He also promises to bring him the medicine after work. While helicopters finally arrive to transport the firefighters, the Paradise Town Hall receives evacuation orders for East Paradise before the phone lines go down. However, when they try to send out the alert, they discover the system is down, too. The air tankers keep on flying without achieving much. The firefighters and the choppers notice that the wind is too strong, so they won't be able to fly for much longer. The fire is finally crossing the canyon and can't be stopped.
In a school in Paradise, Mary is trying to keep her students calm. They still haven't received evacuation orders, but the principal doesn't want to wait anymore and tells the teachers to send the kids home. Some parents are already collecting the children, and the teachers start calling the other families.
On the road, Kevin gets another call from his ex because Shawn keeps contacting her instead of him. He decides to pull over so he can have a better conversation, but his ex just tells him to think about Shawn's happiness because he doesn't want to live with him at all. After she hangs up, Kevin leaves another message on Shawn's phone saying he'll go home now. As Kevin turns the bus around and angers a few car drivers, Ruby informs all the buses that they must take the vehicles to the West Depot, even if they still have kids aboard.
At school, the principal finally gets the evacuation orders. Since the alert system is down, the town hall is calling any person with a radio to pass the information. Mary immediately calls her best friend and asks her to pick up her kid from another school since her husband is out of town. Her school still has many children that can't be picked up, so the principal calls the bus depot for help. Ruby contacts all her drivers to ask for a volunteer. All the other buses claim to be full, so Kevin has no choice but to take the job. In the meantime, the firemen finally find an entry point and start working with the hoses, which will be a very slow and long task.
After avoiding lots of traffic, Kevin makes it to the school and rushes inside, telling everyone to move quickly. Ash is already falling in town when they come out, so everyone puts their hoods up. As the kids get on the bus, a mother arrives to get her boy right before they leave. Mary wants to stay in the school and help lock up, but Kevin makes her come with him because he can't handle the kids alone. After they take off, Mary shows Kevin the school's evacuation route. Kevin disapproves because that road is moving very slowly due to traffic, but Mary says they must stick to the official plans.
In the choppers, the firefighters notice the jam on the roads and are worried that people won't make it. They land near an exhibition center that has become the headquarters for the incident. The chief wants to evacuate the whole town instead of just the east, and some men think it's a bad idea because the resulting chaos wouldn't allow fire trucks to move freely. However, since the fire is coming down the canyon, they have no choice. The chief also orders them to cut all power.
Fire trucks and police cars keep driving past the bus and the kids get nervous. So Mary assures them they're here to keep them safe. While she's distracted, Kevin turns the bus and takes a different road. Mary freaks out and scolds him, but Kevin points at the fire and says the traffic jam could kill them. He makes another turn and they make it to a road with only a few cars, but there's a fire on the side and the firemen are rushing to take care of it. Kevin moves the bus fast enough to dodge the incoming trucks just in time.
At the depot, they receive a red alert and all the employees run away. Ruby stays a little longer, but can't contact Kevin because the radio system has also gone down, so she ends up leaving as well.
On the bus, Kevin and Mary talk about growing up in Paradise and the hardships of raising a teenager. The fire is now spreading fast through East Paradise, and the firefighters are doing the best they can with the hoses. The hospital's cardiology wing is on fire, too, so they have to rescue the patients and save the building. Air attack has landed since they can't work anymore with all the wind and the smoke. The fire is starting to block roads as well, so the traffic jam is getting even slower and the fire trucks are losing access. Since people are abandoning their cars to continue on foot, the chief orders his men to remove all abandoned vehicles.
On the bus, Kevin is shaking with impatience because the traffic won't move. He keeps calling Shawn, but there's no signal. Since he never signed up their numbers for emergency alerts, his family may not know about the evacuation orders. Suddenly, a house near the road catches on fire. The kids panic and Mary rushes to move them away from the windows. Drivers in cars also start to panic and try to move ahead, blocking the way for the bus. A desperate Kevin makes Mary take over the wheel before leaving the bus to talk to the police who are failing to redirect the traffic because the fire truck needs to pass first. After a pointless argument, Kevin decides to guide the cars himself. He sends them to the other lane and successfully opens the way for both the fire truck and the bus. Mary makes it advance enough to leave the jam and hands the wheel back to Kevin.
Now they're finally moving at a decent speed, but when they reach the meeting point, they're devastated to discover that the place is also on fire. Kevin and Mary come out to search for people, but they find nobody. Mary says they should go to the evacuation center before the kids call her. She rushes back and finds one of the girls hiding under the seat because she's too scared. Mary gets her to come out by hugging her while Kevin returns to the wheel so they can leave.
At the exhibition center, the chief learns that they've only evacuated 8,000 people, which means there still are 30,000 left to save. Their main worry is the propane facilities, so the chief makes them their priority. Active power lines are coming down and blocking roads, thus some firefighters are working on cutting them. The chief looks for the head of the power plant, who reveals that they cut off the automatic lines, but they haven't accessed the manual switches. Getting extremely angry, the chief yells at him and sends him to do something since he needs his men fighting the fire, not the cables.
Meanwhile, the bus is stuck in a traffic jam again. Kevin's plan is to stay ahead and head southwest because he can see a clear patch of sky. There are two roads to get there. One is shorter, but very narrow and full of 180° turns that a bus may not handle well. They have no choice but to take the longer road. The kids realize that Mary doesn't know where their parents are, but she promises they'll find them soon. Another power line comes down and hits the ground, causing several dangerous sparks. Kevin has been keeping an eye on the poles and dodges them just in time, but other cars are panicking and driving like crazy, so he has to dodge those, too. Soon, the falling cables bring down the poles as well, so Kevin has to pull off very fast turns to drive around them. People are starting to leave their cars, meaning there another obstacle to avoid. The kids scream as the sparks go off too close to the bus and Kevin is forced to turn left when a pole blocks the entire road. The front window starts to crack as Kevin drives as fast as possible, going through a fence on purpose to reach the southwest road quickly. Unfortunately, the flames in this area are even worse and the jam is here as well because everyone had the same idea as Kevin. Firefighters are trying their best with the hoses, but barely making any progress. When a man catches on fire, Mary has to keep the kids distracted from the gruesome site. Suddenly, looters appear on the road and start emptying a truck. They surround the bus and demand to be let in. So Kevin and Mary tell the kids to stay away from the windows. There's a man with a gun at the door who has managed to open it a little bit. Thus, Kevin starts kicking it to throw him back. At that moment, Mary sees a gap in the left lane, and Kevin makes a quick turn to escape the traffic jam. Now, their only choice is to search for the narrow road.
At the evacuation center, cars keep arriving, and thousands of tents have been set up for the victims. Ruby arrives safely and finds all the drivers except Kevin. The school parents are there, so she has to tell them that the kids were evacuated, but are still stuck in the bus. Everyone complains, so Ruby vouches for Kevin and asks the parents to have hope.
On the bus, the kids are very hot and thirsty. Mary makes them fan themselves with their homework, but obviously it isn't enough. Suddenly, smoke starts coming into the bus through the AC, so Kevin has to turn it off. It'll make the heat worse, but they need to breathe. Since a girl is about to stroke out, Mary asks Kevin to stop the bus to look for water. She goes out alone and tells Kevin to drive off if the fire gets too close. Running through the smoke and the ash, Mary keeps checking every building in RV. Kevin worries because he sees the fire approaching a gas tank, so he starts yelling to make her hurry up. Eventually, Mary breaks the door of an RV and finally finds some bottles that she brings back with her. When she sees other survivors running nearby, she has to slow down and stay hidden to avoid getting robbed. At that moment, the gas tank explodes and the kids cry, thinking they've lost their teacher. Kevin keeps yelling her name, and Mary follows the noise to find the bus again. They hurry back inside and take off, only for another small explosion to go off on the grass. Kevin dodges it just in time by turning the bus, but unfortunately, they're blocked again by more new flames. As the kids keep screaming, Kevin drives in reverse and has to pull off lots of fast maneuvers to avoid the flames that continue to appear all around them. After lots of struggle, they finally manage to find the exit. Minutes later, Kevin is carefully driving on the narrow mountain road, and Mary helps him navigate the area by keeping an eye on his blind spots. At the same time, in the exhibition center, the team discovers that the fire is heading toward those tight roads. Since they have no more resources to send in that direction, any remaining person there will have to save themselves.
Soon, Kevin and Mary notice people on the road going in the opposite direction. Kevin talks to them and learns that there's fire across the ridge. He tries to tell them that the fire is worse the other way, but the group prefers to take their chances and keeps moving. Kevin leaves the bus to check the ridge and is devastated to discover that there's fire everywhere. Afterward, he returns to the bus and tells Mary that they have no choice but to wait inside since there's nowhere to go. Mary tries to stay calm for the sake of the kids, but she starts crying as she sits down. Kevin then starts cutting his shirt and tells Mary to pour water on the pieces to make filters for the kids, saying they must move them to the back of the bus away from the vents. He also starts sealing the windows with tape.
At the exhibition center, they learn that the hydrants are losing pressure. Stopping the fire has become a lost battle, so they decide to make the firemen drop the fight and concentrate on saving lives instead. The chief then makes this announcement in a small press conference, saying that the fires are getting bigger every year and calling the government fools.
On the bus, Mary wonders if she should make the children sleep so they can die peacefully when the fire comes. She laments never leaving Paradise to see the world. In contrast, Kevin regrets leaving for 28 years and not being there when his father died. He cries as he realizes he's now doing the same thing to his son. Suddenly, some flames appear next to the bus and Kevin rushes to put them out with an extinguisher. More fire appears behind the vehicle, so Mary takes over the extinguisher while Kevin continues to fight the flames with his jacket. Eventually, the extinguisher runs out, but the big fire is still approaching. Kevin sends Mary back to the bus and keeps trying to fight the flames with his jacket only to burn his hand. After watching the trees fall, he runs back to the bus and says they'll have to drive through the fire. Unfortunately, the bus won't start, so Kevin checks the engine. With the fire almost on the road, Kevin keeps tinkering until Mary manages to start the engine. He runs back inside and they finally take off. As the kids scream, Kevin goes as fast as possible through the fire, making all kinds of crazy turns to avoid the bigger flames. The vehicle keeps crashing into branches, cars, and smaller flames. Yet, Kevin never gives up and even speeds up. After several terrifying minutes of heat and darkness, the bus finally comes out into a clear area outside town where the group sees the sunlight again. Everyone cries and hugs each other in relief. Eventually, the bus makes it to the evacuation center and the parents immediately surround it to reunite with their children. Mary tries to talk to the parents, but is distracted when she discovers her son is there, too. Kevin asks an employee about his son and mother, but their names aren't on the victim list. Then Kevin goes to the medical tents and finally finds his mom, who explains that she was rescued by their neighbor. Shawn left before the evacuation because he decided to stay with his mother. Kevin has no choice but to admit his son is safer and happier with his ex.
Many days later, Kevin comes back to see what is left of his hometown. His house is nothing but debris and ashes. However, he manages to find a picture of him and his son. At that moment, his ex parks nearby, and Shawn comes out to meet Kevin with a hug. This is based on a true story. Investigators revealed that the electric company was responsible for the fire and was charged with manslaughter, so it had to pay $13.5 billion to the victims. Kevin studied to be a teacher and still works as one to this day. Mary is still in the same school, but now travels often. Make sure to subscribe and turn on notifications so you can watch more videos like this. Thanks for watching.