FIRE FLIGHT

A huge forest fire ranges out of control in Jackson Hole and Yellowstone National Forest. The fires are fought by brave pilots in ancient air tankers (converted from old passenger airliners) dropping chemical fire retardants and by fire jumpers who fight the fires on the ground. Clark Maxwell, a veteran pilot, watches as friends die when one plane’s wings fall off mid-flight and another crashes from mechanical neglect. Nance’s performance is best when he stresses the tension felt by the pilots and fire fighters as they battle the flames and their cantankerous, unreliable planes. Nance draws the listener into the story most effectively when he dramatizes the action. M.B.K. © AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/ SEP 04]