Content Warning: This section discusses violence and an attempted rape.

The novel’s two protagonists, Jack and Wynn, catch the smell of smoke in the air while on a canoe trip in Northern Canada. That night, they climb to an outcropping during the night and discover the source of the smoke: a massive forest fire raging some 30 miles away. The next morning, while paddling in a very dense fog and into a stiff wind that has kicked up risky waves on the lake, they notice a camp and, thinking they should notify whoever is there of the fire, head toward the camp. They find two men, one overweight and one slim, both of whom are drunk. As Jack and Wynn try to make conversation, the strangers (who are Texans) respond in a belligerent manner and seem unconcerned about news of the fire. Jack and Wynn paddle on, still battling fog and wind. They hear more people, this time a man and a woman having an intense argument. Wynn and Jack can hear the noise but can’t see the couple. They decide to continue onward, realizing that they have no time to spare because the forest fire is spreading quickly.