Quotes from Backdraft

Lt. Steven McCaffrey: You go. We go.

Lt. Steven McCaffrey: Look at him... That's my brother god damnit.

Firefighter Brian McCaffrey: You see that flash of light in the corner of your eye? That's your career dissipation light. It just went into high gear.

[In high rise elevator]
Tim Kizminski: How are we supposed to know if the floor is on fire in one of these?
Lt. Steven McCaffrey: When the doors open, if it's hot, don't get out.

Ronald: I sent away for the copy of Life magazine. The one with your picture on the front. It's a collectible.
Firefighter Brian McCaffrey: Who's doing this, Ronald?
Ronald: Wrong question. Who isn't? It's not a spark because there's not enough damage. He wouldn't have had any fun. It's not an insurance scam because there isn't any profit.
Firefighter Brian McCaffrey: Do you know who's doing this?
Ronald: Yes.
Firefighter Brian McCaffrey: Then tell me.
Ronald: You want to know who? I want to know if this kid really wanted to be just like his dad.
Firefighter Brian McCaffrey: I wanted to be him. I wanted to be him more than anything else in the world.
Ronald: And you loved him?
Firefighter Brian McCaffrey: Yeah.
Ronald: And you watched him dance with the animal. You saw your dad burn.
Firefighter Brian McCaffrey: Fuck you Ronald. Who's doing this, huh?
Ronald: Did it look at you? Did the fire look at you? It did. Whoa. Wow. Our worlds aren't that far apart after all, are they? So, whoever is doing this knows the animal well, doesn't he? He knows him real well, but he won't let him loose. He won't let him have any fun, so he does not love him. Now who doesn't love fire? And is around trychtichlorate all day long?
Firefighter Brian McCaffrey: [realizes who it might be] Oh my God!
Ronald: See... that wasn't such a long trip after all.

Donald 'Shadow' Rimgale: What about the world, Ronald? What would you like to do to the whole world?
Ronald Bartel: Burn it all.
[Laughs]

Ronald Bartel: The funny thing about firemen is... Night and day they are always firemen.

John 'Axe' Adcox: Gentlemen, gentlemen, gentlemen. As 17's official toastmaster...
Ray Santos: ...and bullshitter.
John 'Axe' Adcox: Thank you, Santos. Did I happen to mention you're cut out of my will?
[Continuing]
John 'Axe' Adcox: I think it appropriate that we recognize the two asswipes... Probationary Firemen... among us today who were officially baptized into the world of Old Man Fire. First, to Tim. Despite the fact that he has a rather dull expression, and a really hideous pair of ears; he not only took on the beast but pulled from its clutches, assisted by a more famous and brilliant firefighter, me, a kicking and screaming civilian who will probably wind up suing us for breaking her fingernails. And to Brian...
[pulls up mannequin]
John 'Axe' Adcox: ...whose own contribution was not only more beautiful but less likely to sue. You know, when I learned that both McCaffrey brothers would be assigned at the same station together at the same time, my heart was filled with... a sudden desire to transfer. So raise a glass, gents. To funny-looking Tim, and the McCaffrey brothers, who have gotten on each other's nerves so badly and dedicated themselves to still be pissed off at each other. Gentlemen...
ALL: FUCK YOU.

[Rimgale and Brian McCaffrey in the morgue with the medical examiner]
Donald 'Shadow' Rimgale: McCaffrey, come on over and give us a hand.
Firefighter Brian McCaffrey: No, I don't think so. Not in my contract.
Donald 'Shadow' Rimgale: [Throwing medical gloves at him] I just rewrote your contract. Come give us a hand.

Jennifer Vaitkus: We believe you're holding back on us, to embarass the Alderman because of his fire department cutbacks.
Donald 'Shadow' Rimgale: Alderman, I have an uncomplicated job: To determine if a fire is arson or not, and if it is, to catch the son of a bitch doing it. And if my investigative methods happen to muck up the campaign of certain mayor wannabes, I gotta tell ya... I'm not gonna go losing any sleep over it.

Lt. Steven McCaffrey: How do you do it, man? How do you come up with new and amazing ways to fuck up?

Donald 'Shadow' Rimgale: In a word, Brian, what is this job all about?
Firefighter Brian McCaffrey: Fire.
Donald 'Shadow' Rimgale: It's a living thing, Brian. It breathes, it eats, and it hates. The only way to beat it is to think like it. To know that this flame will spread this way across the door and up across the ceiling, not because of the physics of flammable liquids, but because it wants to. Some guys on this job, the fire owns them, makes 'em fight it on it's level, but the only way to truly kill it is to love it a little. Just like Ronald.

Donald 'Shadow' Rimgale: So stop me if I got this wrong. Now the fire is almost out, you're upstairs on the unburned floor checking for heat, is that correct? And you've been told by your Battalion Chief, your Captain and by me not to do nothin', right? Not to do nothin' until ordered. That's correct, right?
Candidate: Yes, sir.
Donald 'Shadow' Rimgale: Ok. But now the itch starts. The 'Glory Boy' flash starts. 'Hey, I'm a hero. Heroes don't just stand around.' You can tell me, that's what it was, wasn't it?
Candidate: Yes, sir.
Donald 'Shadow' Rimgale: So you punched out a window for ventilation. Was that before or after you noticed you were standing in a lake of gasoline?
[shouting]
Donald 'Shadow' Rimgale: Was that BEFORE OR AFTER you noticed you were standing in a lake of GASOLINE, YOU IDIOT?
Candidate: Before, sir.
Donald 'Shadow' Rimgale: You could have burned or killed or crispened half that company! To say nothing of the fact that you wrecked the physical evidence that I use to prove that it's arson, and you know how goddamned hard it is to determine the cause of these fires! Now you go home and you think about that!

Alderman Marty Swayzak: You see that glow in the corner of your eye. It's your career dissapation light and it's going into overtime.
Lt. Steven McCaffrey: If anyone's lights are about to go out, believe me they are yours.

Ricco, Pathologist: [to Brian in the morgue about picking up the burned body] Jesus Christ! He's not going to sell you insurance, pick him up!

Firefighter Brian McCaffrey: You had to do it, didn't you? Had to be the big Mick Man, taking on the fire bare-handed instead of protecting your probe?
Lt. Steven McCaffrey: I *had it* under control! He just wouldn't listen to me!
Firefighter Brian McCaffrey: He's a *candidate*! YOUR RESPONSIBILITY! You shouldn't have had him up there in the *first place*!
[Steven walks away]
Firefighter Brian McCaffrey: YOU BURNED HIM, STEVEN!
Lt. Steven McCaffrey: FUCK YOU!
[keeps walking away]
Firefighter Brian McCaffrey: Don't you walk away from me...
[Steven turns aroung and slugs Brian]
Firefighter Brian McCaffrey: [Brian goes after Steven, resulting in a brawl]

John 'Axe' Adcox: Your Dad died saving my life and these people were killing firemen for MONEY!

[Rimgale and Brian crash Alderman Swayzak's press conference]
Donald 'Shadow' Rimgale: These detectives would like to question you on how come you paid Donald Cosgrove, Jeffrey Holcum and Allan Seagrave to create a phony manpower study!
[throws the files at the media, resulting in a barrage of questions]
Donald 'Shadow' Rimgale: [to the media] Ask him who made money off firemen dying!

Lt. Steven McCaffrey: Who's your brother Brian?
Firefighter Brian McCaffrey: You are Steven.