Fires Were Started is a 1943 British film written and directed by Humphrey Jennings. Filmed in documentary style, it shows the lives of firefighters through the Blitz during the Second World War. The film uses actual firemen (including Cyril Demarne) rather than professional actors. Production Exterior shots were filmed on location, while the interior scenes were shot at Pinewood Studios. Jennings's first cut of the film was titled I Was a Fireman and ran to 74 minutes. This was cut down to 65 minutes and released as Fires Were Started. Critical reception Film critics mostly praised the film for its realism and documentary value, despite its reconstructions. Dilys Powell, of the Sunday Times declared its authenticity to be 'moving and terrifying'. See also BFI Top 100 British films References Bibliography External links 1943 films 1943 documentary films Black-and-white documentary films British documentary films British World War II propaganda films British black-and-white films Battle of Britain films Films about firefighting British docufiction films Crown Film Unit films Films directed by Humphrey Jennings 1940s English-language films