在这部地下烈火动作/冒险片中,米尔伍德市的地下雨水管道接连发生爆炸，熊熊的大火和巨大的声响震惊了市民。市政工程处的司各特·丹尼尔斯负责调查此事，调查结果显示管道中的天然气浓度过高，这个意外的发现使消防队长帕特森颇不自在。帕特森知道，这是他收受贿赂同意不法石油开采商泰尔博特开采城外废气的恶果。为了掩盖真相，帕特森千方百计地阻挠司各特向市长说出爆炸原因，然而，事实证明了司各特的判断，市政府决定疏散危险地区的居民，将天然气抽回油田烧掉。为了保住油井，泰尔博特逼迫帕特森在城里引燃管道中的天然气，被司各特发现后及时制止。疏散工作异常紧张，而司各特的妻子、儿子却对此却一无所知，地下室冒出的天然气使他们失去了知觉……
Millwood City engineer Scott Daniels, moved from Houston, investigates a series of mysterious fires. Scott's and Lourie Harper's only son Jesse, who hated the move or dad's youth home, fakes a fever and invites his new girlfriend Carmen. She's reporter Allison Saunders, Scott's high-school ex's, daughter and finds Jesse unconscious, overtaken by fumes. The sewers are full of dead rats. Cracks appear in various buildings. Gass leaks start explosive fires. Mayor Walker, who only care for politics and publicity, overrules Scott's call for a mass evacuation. Scott and city administration friend Kenny Barrows later discover the link is steam pressure drilling by Talbot's oil exploration firm, but fire chief Patterson is in league with Talbot for years, covers their tracks and undermines Scott's credibility.
