Production
In December 1989, it was reported producers Peter Guber and Jon Peters, after establishing themselves at Columbia Pictures following leaving Warner Bros. Pictures, had acquired Fire Down Below along with several other scripts after being forced to abandoned their slate of in development projects at Warner Bros. The script was described as a "fish-out-of-water" drama about a special investigator on a case that takes him into the coal mines of Kentucky. The script by Jeb Stuart was acquired for $750,000. When Frank Price joined Columbia in 1991, the script was briefly put into Turnaround after Price said he didn't like the script.
In March 1993, it was reported that Steven Seagal had entered into a deal with Columbia to star in Fire Down Below one week after Warner Bros. delayed filming on his directorial debut Rainbow Warrior (later released as On Deadly Ground) after executives became concerned about the film's budget. Warner Bros. stated Rainbow Warrior, which was planned to be filmed in Alaska, cited insufficient snowfall as reason for the delay, but the National Weather Service reported that Valdez, Alaska recorded 47 inches of snow on the ground and Nome, Alaska had 10 inches with snow showers forecast throughout the week. This led to rumors in the industry that Warner Bros. was finding excuses to postpone Rainbow Warrior after the film's mid $30 million budget had ballooned into the high $40 million with anonymous sources attributing the cost increases to Seagal's inability to control the production. Additional rumors claimed that Seagal was so annoyed with Warner Bros. that he took the similarly environmentally themed film Fire Down Below as tit for tat for Warner Bros. delay which Warner Bros. denied as Seagal's four-picture deal with Warner Bros. gave Seagal the option to do one film with another studio outside the deal referred to as an "out" movie. Later that month, Rob Friedman, then Warner Bros. President of Worldwide Advertising and Publicity, stated that Seagal would not be making Fire Down Below until 1995 or 1996 as he had to make three more movies for Warner Bros. before making an out movie. Then Columbia production chief, Michael Nathanson, indicated the film was "Go Picture" and voiced the intent of making the movie sometime in the next year with Seagal possibly being offered the position of director.
In December 1993, it was reported that Jon Peters contract with Columbia was set to expire at the end of 1994 while Peters former partner Peter Guber signed a five-year contract to become chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment with speculation that Peters' development slate would be taken elsewhere including Fire Down Below for which Seagal had a pay or play deal. In March 1994, it was reported that Jon Peters would be returning to Warner Bros. where he would also move Fire Down Below from Columbia.
The film was shot on location in and around Kentucky; parts of the "truck chase scene" were shot at Natural Bridge State Resort Park. Some of the opening scenes were filmed at Cumberland Falls State Resort Park. The cave scenes were filmed in the Great Saltpetre Cave. This was the third, and final time that Kane Hodder worked with Steven Seagal as a stuntman.
Seagal liked the film in part because it was "kind of an environmental movie." He also enjoyed working with Marg Helgenberger. "While I don't think she's a physical, spectacular, drop dead gorgeous woman, at the same time she's a spectacular actress," said Seagal. "Her performance was wonderful."
