Chance Buckman (John Wayne) has one of the most dangerous jobs in the world. He, his assistant Greg (Jim Hutton) and his team of skilled firefighters extinguish raging oil field fires all over the world, cheating death every time. Madelyn (Vera Miles), his wife, is tired of worrying about Chance every time he leaves, and their marriage is beginning to fall apart. As Chance falls for Greg’s daughter, Tish (Katharine Ross), he must battle both the flames in the field and the ones in his heart.