Firestorm

Joseph Talon, billionaire entrepreneur and founder of the high-tech firefighting company "Firebombers Incorporated" takes a desperate gamble to stave off bankruptcy by leading the organization down to the Central American republic of San Pietro. However, his hopes of winning a long-term firefighting contract from the fledgling government are sidetracked by a revolt incited by druglords intent on wresting control of the country from the legitimate government. When a group of his firefighters is trapped deep in the jungle, cut off from help, and surrounded by guerillas, Joe is forced to make an agonizing choice: Hope that he can ransom his people from the druglords… or try to rescue them from the midst of an overwhelmingly powerful enemy force.

An engine company and a company of firefighters is heading for an airstrip where they will be flown back to the capital of San Pietro after having extinguished a wildland blaze. Their military escort is virtually wiped out within moments in an ambush by druglord mercenaries, forcing the unarmed firefighters to flee into the jungle. While most of the engine company escapes, the rest of the firefighters are pursued to a remote telephone relay station. Besieged by 5,000 guerillas led by battle-hardened mercenaries, the firefighters and a small contingent of U.S. artillerymen (that’s a long story) are faced with the daunting task of holding off the druglord’s soldiers until help can arrive. It will take at least two days before a relief force can reach them. What are the chances that 300 firefighters, 70 soldiers, 3 technicians, and an engineer armed with one M-16 and three .22-caliber rifles can hold off this force of heavily-armed guerillas?

An Air Force AC-130U gunship flying over the middle of the Gulf of Mexico is running out of fuel. Too far from land in any direction to safely touch down, unable to refuel in the air due to battle damage, what can the firefighter transport pilot manning the controls (that’s another long story) do to get the crew home safely?

And who exactly is the mysterious new commander of the 701st Firejumper company, John Standing Bear?