Fireman Sam: The Great Fire of Pontypandy

Synopsis

Norman, Derek, Sarah, James and Dilys go pioneering with Trevor Evans in the forest. Norman and Derek attempt to light a campfire by rubbing sticks together. They are called away, not realising that the fire has caught, and this leads to the "Great Fire of Pontypandy".

Plot

Fireman Sam is awarded for rescuing Charlie from the edge of the lighthouse cliff and starting up the broken light again, making Elvis want to be a hero too. Chief Fire Officer Boyce offers Sam a promotion to head the rapid response service in Newtown. Sam promises to think about it until the end of the day.

Meanwhile, James, Sarah, Norman, Dilys Price, and Derek are on the way to the forest with Trevor (the Pontypandy Pioneers Trip).

Back at the fire station, Sam and Penny Morris rescue Mike Flood from drowning in the harbour sea.

After a sneak off from the group, Norman decides to cook sausages that he brought earlier to the forest (ignoring the warnings that the forest is too dry to start fires) and sets fire to old wood using a sharp wood pin. Dilys finds them but fails to notice the fire.

Meanwhile, Mike forgets the phone and the hammer, and locks himself in the lighthouse after he mends the door. Helen and Mandy are trying to find the campsite when Helen steps into the mantrap Trevor set up minutes earlier. Sam and Penny leave the station, but as Elvis and Radar are already there, Helen is rescued. Mike sees smoke coming from the forest and as his mobile is locked out, he uses the lighthouse to spell "FOREST FIRE" in Morse Code. Sam and Penny read the code and call Steele to the forest. The campsite group smell the smoke and leave the campsite to get out of the forest. The fire spreads to the campsite. Elvis and Radar find the group and follow Venus' siren, getting out of the forest before the fire engulfs it.

Tom attempts to dampen the forest down in his helicopter but has no effect so Station Officer Steele warns everyone that if they cannot contain it they will have to evacuate the town. Norman suggests that they should call other fire engines from Newtown but Steele tells him that they would be too far away to get there in time. By this point, the fire has completely cut the group off. Sam suggests that everyone can help by flattening the grass at the edge of the forest and keeping the heat down with the hoses. The fire reaches the edge of the forest and the four firefighters attack it, to little effect. A falling branch nearly hits Sam but Elvis comes to the rescue, diving and pushing Sam out of the way.

Steele then tells everyone to retreat to collect Chief Fire Officer Boyce and go straight to the harbour. They take one last look at the fire station and set off. The vehicles drive to the harbour as Sam looks at the stormy clouds, pleading them to come towards the fire. As the people all get aboard Charlie's boat, the rain pours down and puts out the fire to everyone's delight. Then Radar finds the sausages from Norman's bag. Everyone is shocked, Steele scolds Norman for setting the forest on fire, and Dilys says that she will make sure Norman is properly dealt with.

At the end of the movie, Elvis is awarded for saving Sam and the group of Pontypandy pioneers are rewarded, except for Norman and Derek. Derek, angry at not getting a medal, blames Norman for bringing sausages and setting the fire, while Norman blames Derek for wanting sausages. Mike finally makes time to spend with Helen and Mandy. Sam decides to reject the Chief's promotion and chooses to stay in Pontypandy because he sees the town needs him. The town has a huge party to celebrate.

The movie finishes with Fireman Sam's latest music video, "He's Our Friend".

Cast

Reception

Fireman Sam: The Great Fire of Pontypandy was given a critical analysis on the website Raising Children Network. The film was rated G, and was advised for children aged 5 and up. The genre was "children's animated adventure", its length was 63 minutes and the release date was 28 October 2010. It commented on the prevalent themes, namely "the threat of fire; accidents and rescues". The review mentioned that some scenes could potentially scare or disturb children under 5, such as when "Mike falls off the roof of a house into the harbour, and struggles to stay afloat". The review concluded with some discussion points for parents with their children: "The main messages from this movie are about helping people in need and pulling together as a community. The movie also looks at the bad things that happen when you do the wrong thing. Values in this movie that you could reinforce with your children include selflessness, and care and concern for others. This movie could also give you the chance to talk with your children about real-life issues such as stealing, lighting fires, and ignoring safety instructions."