Firestorm (released in theaters on January 9, 1998) attempted to carve out a niche in the “disaster-action” genre by combining the terrifying spectacle of a forest fire with the tension of a prison break thriller. Directed by Dean Semler, winner of the Academy Award for Best Cinematography for Dances with Wolves, the film leverages its rugged settings and practical effects to deliver a visceral, popcorn-flicking experience.
It serves as the primary cinematic showcase for NFL legend Howie Long, who trades the football field for the fire line in a role that highlights his physical presence and stoic charisma.
Jesse Graves (Long) is a “smokejumper”—an elite firefighter who parachutes into inaccessible wilderness areas to combat raging wildfires.
His mentor, Wynt Perkins (Scott Glenn), is a veteran of the service who has taught Jesse everything he knows about survival and the unpredictable nature of fire.
Their lives take a perilous turn when a ruthless, highly intelligent convict named Randall Shaye (William Forsythe) orchestrates a daring escape from a high-security prison.
Shaye and his gang of fellow inmates disguise themselves as firefighters to navigate the dense woods of Wyoming, hoping to recover a hidden cache of stolen money.
To create a diversion and cover their tracks, Shaye deliberately sets a massive forest fire, creating a “firestorm” that threatens to consume everything in its path.
During the chaos, they take Jennifer (Suzy Amis), an unsuspecting ornithologist, hostage.
Jesse is dropped into the heart of the inferno, initially believing he is on a standard rescue mission.
However, he soon realizes he is the only person capable of stopping Shaye’s gang.
As the fire grows into an unstoppable wall of flame, Jesse must use his specialized skills to rescue Jennifer and outmaneuver the criminals, including a young convict played by Barry Pepper.
Firestorm builds to a pyrotechnic finale where Jesse must navigate a landscape of falling timber and lethal heat to ensure justice is served before the forest is reduced to ash.
Howie Long and Suzy Amis in Firestorm (Photo/20th Century Fox)
Reception for Firestorm
Firestorm grossed $3.8 million on its opening weekend, finishing seventh at the box office.
The film would gross $8.2 million in its theatrical run.
Legacy
The legacy of Firestorm is its status as a quintessential late-90s action relic, representing a brief era when studios were eager to turn professional athletes into the next big action heroes.
While it didn’t ignite a long-running franchise for Long, the film remains a favorite among fans of “guilty pleasure” cinema for its earnest delivery and impressive stunt work.
It is cited alongside Cliffhanger and The River Wild as part of a trend of wilderness-based survival thrillers that prioritized practical location shooting over early CGI.
Semler’s expertise behind the camera ensured that the fire itself became a formidable character, with the cinematography capturing the claustrophobic and terrifying reality of a woodland blaze.
Today, Firestorm stands as a nostalgic piece of action history, celebrated for its straightforward heroism and its dedication to the high-concept, high-stakes storytelling that defined the end of the millennium.
