Katniss wakes to a Gamemaker-made forest fire and barely escapes her tree. She runs through smoke and falling branches, following fleeing animals because they seem to know the safest direction. As she struggles to breathe, she realizes the fire is meant to flush scattered tributes together and force new conflict for the audience.

When Katniss tries to rest and think her way back around the flames, the Gamemakers escalate the attack by launching fireballs at her. She survives only by reacting instantly, zigzagging through the woods until the barrage slows. During the assault, her braid is singed, her hands are burned, and a fireball badly scorches her right calf.

Once the attack ends, Katniss concludes the Gamemakers do not want her dead yet, which means another tribute is probably nearby. She limps into a cool spring-fed pool and uses the water to ease her burns. Remembering her mother's medical knowledge, she forces herself to inspect the wound, judges that it is painful but not fatal, drinks treated water, salvages her damaged supplies, and stays by the pool because moving is too painful.

Exhaustion overcomes Katniss, but at dusk the Careers find her. Although injured, she runs long enough to reach a tree and climbs high beyond their weight-bearing limit. All six pursuers are below her: the five Careers and Peeta. Katniss taunts them, Cato fails to climb high enough, and Glimmer proves incompetent with Katniss's stolen bow; Katniss manages to grab one of Glimmer's arrows when it lodges nearby.

As night falls, the Careers decide to leave Katniss trapped in the tree until morning, and Peeta sharply urges them to wait. Katniss secures herself for the night, suffering from pain and fear now that her earlier bravado has faded. Then she notices Rue hidden silently in a neighboring tree, watching the scene, and Rue points to something above Katniss's head, ending the chapter on a tense warning.