CBC The Passionate Eye - BURN Detroit Fire (2012)

BURN Detroit Fire travels to the frontlines with one of the busiest fire departments in North America as they battle to save Detroit, one fire at a time. The action-packed documentary captures a year in the lives of Detroit firefighters who are charged with the thankless task of saving a city that many have written off as dead. Facing staggering arson rates and epic budget cuts, we witness the firefighters' personal and public struggles as they try to rescue their city. Using helmet cams that provide a close-up view rarely seen before, BURN Detroit Fire takes you into the fires and ultimately into the hearts of the people who fight them, exploring human struggles, hope and personal courage in the face of overwhelming odds.

Producer/directors Tom Putnam and Brenna Sanchez embedded with the crew of Engine Company 50. Located on Detroit’s blighted east side, E50 stands at ground zero of the city’s problems. Since 1950, racial tensions and vanishing industry have cut Detroit’s population in half from 1.8 million, leaving behind 80,000 abandoned structures, or “kindling”, as the firefighters call it. The result is a dying city with one of the highest arson rates in the world. Every time the alarm goes off, the crew of E50 steps into their worn boots, jumps onto decrepit trucks and drives out into the crumbling streets of Detroit to battle these complex problems.

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