Fire: The Nature of the Beast

Meet fire, "the ultimate predator." Fire, which requires three components--fuel, oxygen, and a heat source--for ignition, provides warmth and power, but can also unleash havoc in a moment. Just how quickly a fire burns and how everything in a home constitutes potential fuel is dramatically illustrated in test fire footage of a dry Christmas tree igniting a living room. Narrated by T. C. Carson, Fire: The Nature of the Beast, one of three titles in The Heat series on firefighters (the others are Inside the Inferno and Behind the Badge; series price: $39.98), includes interviews with firefighters and foresters, news footage of major fires, and simulations demonstrating both the dangers of fires and the difficulties in controlling them. Every viewer will come away with an enhanced respect for both the speed and power of fires as well for the brave men and women who fight them. With the recent spring fire disasters in Arizona and elsewhere, this timely examination of the subject, produced by The Learning Channel, is highly recommended. Aud: J, H, C, P. (J. McDaniel)