Dani Allen and Levon Miller, two firefighters with the Waketa Township Fire Department, prepare to respond to the call from the nuclear plant. Dani looks at the photo of her five-year-old daughter, Bri, which is taped into her helmet, while Levon touches the picture of his wife, Carla, in his locker.

Chief Lotus says that they have little information about the disaster. The chaos in town includes a 17-car pileup on I-35, but their priority is to reach the plant. The firefighters question how they will get backup and whether their two trucks will be enough, but Chief Lotus cuts them off. He tells them that they never have everything they need—but they get the job done all the same.

Joss arrives at the plant. She goes to the control room, where she and Ethan have an awkward interaction—remnants of a relationship that they had over 15 years ago. However, they set their awkwardness aside and work together in an attempt to get their systems back online.

Meanwhile, Steve and his fire crew arrive at the building that houses the spent fuel pool. There is damage everywhere: fires, structural damage to the building, and rips in the storage pool.