Many years ago, a volcano erupted.
Some vulcanologist waited until the last minute to get out.
Ash, rocks, and fire were falling everywhere.
One of the rocks hits Marian and kills her.
Four years later the surviving geologist, Harry is notified to check on a mountain that is showing some seismic activity named Dante's Peak.
Mayor Rachael is giving a speech.
At the same time, some teens are swimming in the hot springs.
It turns very hot very quickly and kills them.
Mayor Wanda agrees to show him the mountain but has to pick up her son Gram and ex-mother-in-law Ruth first.
Once at the top of the mountain he checks the acidity of the small lake and takes note of some dying trees.
Then the children notice some dead squirrels.
Ruth tells them that lately, the squirrels have been dying.
Then they find the bodies of the dead teens.
Harry's team shows up and his boss, Paul.
Paul recommends that they do further tests before alerting the town.
The alert alone could make the tiny town go bankrupt.
Mayor Rachael invites Harry over for dinner since he saved Gram from jumping into the deadly water.
Harry tells Rachael about Marian.
The next day they measure the sulfur from the mountain and install seismometers.
They also take a malfunctioning robot to take pictures.
A minor earthquake destroys it and breaks a vulcanologist's leg.
It is decided that the vulcanologists can watch the mountain from Oregon and decide to leave in the morning.
Harry spends one last night talking with Rachael when they notice the water has turned brown and smells of sulfur.
They visit the water supply facility and find the ground water seeping into the tanks.
The vulcanologists decide that the mountain is showing the same signs as the one that killed Marian.
It is time to call a town meeting to discuss evacuation.
During the town meeting, the volcano begins to blows and an earthquake is felt.
The earthquake crumbles buildings and the interstate ramps.
Everyone panics and people get trampled.
Harry and Rachael drive quickly to get her two kids.
When they get home, they notice that the kids have taken the car to get their stubborn grandmother.
They go after the kids hoping that they have enough time before the volcano explodes.
The landslides take out the road.
They find the kids and grandma.
The house bursts in flames from the lava flows so they run to the dock and get in the boat.
As they are getting away, they notice that all the fish in the lake are dead and the water begins eating away at their metal boat.
It then eats the metal propeller and they are stuck a few yards from the shore.
Will they ever make it out of the lake alive? Will they make it down the mountain to safety before the volcano explodes? Watch and find out.