Chance Buckman (John Wayne) is a fire fighter, of oil fires. His ex-wife Madelyn (Vera Miles) could never take the pressure, worrying about Chance every time he went to a fire. Chance was hurt in a fire, his friends not knowing for sure if he was going to make it decided to have his daughter Tish (Katharine Ross) brought to the hospital, whom Chance hadn't seen in several years. Tish falls in love and marrys Chance's right-hand man Greg Parker (Jim Hutton). This sets the stage for an excellent movie.