After his father is killed during a heroic rescue attempt, Danny Grogan, the son of a fireman on the Los Angeles fire department, joins the force in an attempt to follow in his father's footsteps. Fighting his first fire, Danny discovers that he is a coward and determines to overcome his fear of the flames. When Alice, the girl he loves, is trapped in a burning building, Danny finally becomes a man, rescuing her despite the dangers of heat and falling timber.—AFI