A Fire Called Jeremiah

"A Fire Called Jeremiah" is an episode of Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color. It originally aired on NBC on December 3, 1961.

Synopsis
The fight to stop a raging Montana forest fire emphasizes the value of conservation. Tells the story of a forest fire in the northern Rocky Mountains, emphasizing smoke jumper training and the roles of the Forest Service in controlling a large fire.

The other version was a TV movie done by Walt Disney. While somewhat lightweight, A Fire Called Jeremiah kept the ecological focus of the book.

Disney was quite a fan of Stewart’s work. Before Fire was written, Disney invited him to the studio to work as a consultant. Stewart spent a few days there, working up ideas for educational films and a series of proposed series of films about American folklore. Although never credited, I believe his influence can be seen in the folklore films – Song of the South, Johnny Appleseed, and the others – and the True-Life Adventure films. Stewart and Disney had lunch together during Stewart’s studio time; and Disney sent a warm letter to Stewart after his visit.

Cast

 * Walt Disney	 ...	Himself - Host
 * Lawrence Dobkin	 ...	Narrator