Jack loves mountain biking, and when his dad forbids him to ride in the forest surrounding Lytton because of the risk of wildfire, the reality of the region's heat dome sets in. Days later, the village of Lytton burns down, forcing Jack to evacuate to Merritt.
Escape from the Wildfire offers a fictional account based on the real-life facts of the disastrous wildfire of 2021 that destroyed the town of Lytton after days of scorching heat. Dorothy Bentley's own experiences of living through a wildfire led her to research the experience of Lytton residents, so she could write the story of a resilient teen surviving an environmental catastrophe.