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Only the Brave
Fire and Rescue Crew 7 of Prescott, Arizona, superintended by Eric Marsh, responds to the Cave Creek wildfire. Eric predicts that the fire will threaten a residential area, but is disregarded by the assigned superintendent. Eric's fear comes true; he vents his frustration to fire chief and close friend Duane Steinbrink, warning that when a wildfire threatens Prescott, his crew will not be allowed to fight it directly as they lack Hotshot certification. Eric asks for Duane's help, who successfully vouches for the crew with the mayor of Prescott. Crew 7 has until the end of the fire season to pass the evaluation.
Meanwhile, 21-year-old heroin addict Brendan McDonough learns that his ex-girlfriend Natalie is pregnant and does not want him involved with the child. Brendan is arrested for larceny, which prompts his mother to evict him from her house. Determined to provide support for his newborn daughter, Brendan interviews with Eric, who gives him an opportunity. After months of training, the crew are given an evaluation during a wildfire deployment as they were set to battle the Horseshoe 2 Fire in the Chiricahuas near the town of Portal. Eric commands his crew but is criticized by their evaluator, Hayes, who Eric bluntly disregards. The fire is halted by Eric's strategy and the crew are certified, officially becoming the first municipal hotshot crew in history, the Granite Mountain Hotshots.
Throughout the season, the Granite Mountain crew are deployed across the country. Brendan, who's been anonymously dropping off baby supplies at Natalie's doorstep, is finally accepted by Natalie and allowed to see his daughter. Near Prescott, the crew saves a landmark Alligator juniper and are hailed as local heroes. After battling the fire, Brendan is bitten by a rattlesnake and is rushed to the hospital. Brendan expresses his concerns to Eric about being there for his daughter and asks if he would recommend him for a structural firefighting position next season. Eric snaps, stating that nobody would hire him due to his prior drug addiction.
On the way home, Eric has an argument with his wife Amanda, who challenges him about this; reminding him about his own previous drug/alcohol addiction (from which he has been clean for a number of years and which lead to him meeting Amanda) The two talk about starting a family, which they had previously decided not to do due to the nature of their past. Amanda makes it clear to Eric that it is now something she would like to revisit. Eric stops the truck and leaves Amanda alone; unwilling to continue the conversation he leaves stating that he is going for a walk. He ends up at Duane’s house where he speaks openly about his fears.
After speaking with Duane, Eric returns to Amanda, announcing that he is ready to settle down.
The Granite Mountain Hotshots are called to the Yarnell Hill Fire. Eric informs his captain, Jesse Steed, that he will step down as superintendent after this season and offers Jesse his job. Eric also apologizes to Brendan and promises that he will help him with the transfer. The crew assembles a controlled burn, but is doused mistakenly by an airtanker. Marsh sends Brendan, still recovering from the snakebite, as the lookout, while the remaining crew move to find another suitable location. The wind suddenly shifts, and the fire jumps a trigger point. Brendan is rescued by another hotshot crew while the others relocate to a safe zone, but the fire's speed and intensity continues to increase.
The wind picks up again, jumping Granite Mountain's safe zone; cutting them off from escape. Clearing a small site quickly, Eric attempts to douse the blaze with an overhead airtanker, but it misses the drop zone. The crew deploys under their fire shelters as the fire sweeps over them. Brendan listens into the radio traffic, and is devastated when a call finally comes in from the first responders who arrive at their shelters; all 19 of his crewmates have perished. Though the information is treated sensitively, rumors flare amongst the devastated families of what has happened. Brendan, being the sole survivor, demands to meet with them at the gather point at Prescott Middle School. Upon arriving, the families' worst fears are confirmed, with Brendan suffering a psychological breakdown due to survivors guilt. He is ultimately consoled by a grieving newly widowed Amanda.
Three years later, Amanda goes on a horseback ride with the horse she rescued earlier in the film watching over a series of horses from a nearby ridge. Brendan takes his daughter to the juniper tree Granite Mountain saved, now adorned as a memorial to the hotshots.
The end credits dedicate the film to the 19 fallen firefighters, displaying photos of the real hotshots alongside the actors who played them in the film, and notes that the Yarnell Hill Fire remains the largest loss of firefighter life in a single day since the September 11 attacks.