Donald 'Shadow' Rimgale quotes from Backdraft (1991)

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?

Yes, sir.

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?

Yes, sir.

Rimgale

So you punched out a window for ventilation. Was that before or after you noticed you were standing in a lake of gasoline? WAS THAT BEFORE OR AFTER YOU NOTICED YOU WERE STANDING IN A LAKE OF GASOLINE, YOU IDIOT?!

Before, sir.

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!

We believe you're holding back on us, to embarrass the Alderman because of his fire department cutbacks.

Donald

Alderman, I have an uncomplicated job: To determine if a fire is arson or not, and if so, 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.

Rimgale

What about the world, Ronald? What would you like to do to the whole world?

Burn it all.

Rimgale

See you next year, Ronald.

Rimgale

In a word, Brian, what is this job all about?

Brian

Fire.

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.

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] Ask him who made money off firemen dying!

Brian

You see that glow flashing in the corner of your eye? That's your career dissipation light. It just went into high gear.