Kurt Russell, Kevin Casey, Scott Glenn and William Baldwin did a lot of their own stunts, and stunt coordinator Walter Scott was so impressed by their performances that he listed them as stunt performers in the credits.
Many of the extras were real Chicago firefighters. A casting call was put out in a Fire Department memo prior to the start of shooting. In addition, many suburban firemen participated in the funeral procession.
Screenwriter Gregory Widen was a firefighter for three years. The film is based on the death of a friend in an actual backdraft.
William Baldwin and Kurt Russell went to a firefighter "boot camp" to learn the ropes. They even slept at a Chicago firehouse for about a month.
To draw audiences into the intensity of a real fire, a cameraman was outfitted in a fireproof suit and wandered through the flames with a hand-held camera.