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[Chrispy]

So I was thinking the other day, why isn't fire more dangerous?

I mean, sure, a single fire can take out a fortress.  But that can happen to towns too, that don't have fire brigades, or adequate water supplies.

It's pretty well known that the use of flaming oils, fiery arrows, and torches are mainstays of medieval fantasy combat.  Set the town on fire, and you *need* to put it out.  Even when you were not in combat, fires could cause problems.  Heck, I would love to see a workshop accident, maybe it was a bad idea to put the clothier right by the magma forge.  Or the chef had some tallow spill over, and into the fire, causing a grease fire.  It's only understandable how bad a fire could get in an underground tunnel.  There might be no other way to go.

What I would like to see, is fire be an actual, massive concern to the builders of a successful fortress.  But for that to happen, I think the following would need to happen.  First off, the dwarves would need to be able to realize that fire is bad, and avoid it.  I don't think any sort of 'fear state' system currently exists, only a enjoy/disgust meter.  We would also need ways to put out fires.  I would propose that fire-teams are made, as an optional labour like cleaning, such that when I fire is found, one that we do *not* want put out, that they go ahead an gather water, in an attempt to extinguish it.

This may require the stacking of water barrels in places to provide quick access to the water, as situations like this would need to be combated *quickly*.  Water barrels could probably be used in two different ways.  As maybe a local area, smash the barrel and soak the local area method, or as a water supply.  But water isn't the only way to put out fires.  One method that I could see being favoured by dwarves is the use of crushed rock to cover the fires.  Bags of sand or rock torn open and scattered over burning materials.  Again, in conveniently placed areas, like by the kitchens or the forges.  Lastly, but not least, it would be nice to be able to set a fire-break, in which your assigned dwarves would clear *everything* out of the way of a out of control inferno.  Draw the line here, so to speak.

Once fire could be utilized safely by the fortress inhabitants, it would be nice to start seeing the usage of it offensively.  The start of molten/burning oils and fats, arrows coated in tar and launched, that sort of thing.  Truly barbaric means of testing our mettle.

[Karakzon]

might be a bit difficult. when a forgotten beast sets the underground on fire and all your fire dwarfs rush to their deaths.

[Moonshadow101]

The main limitation I see is the total lack of flammable materials in an average dwarf fortress. Unlike a medieval castle, there are no wooden floorboards, no hanging tapestries, nothing like that. Fire would not travel down a solid stone hallway. Dwarves have a pretty good reason to not be afraid of fire: to them, it really isn't such a big deal.

[IT 000]

You sir have never seen the terrifying !!Pig Tail Sock!!

I've built 'sprinkler' systems that would flood parts of my fort and drain it (sometimes). Just to prevent this very threat.

Anyways, Toady has hinted at some improvements to fire, but nothing specific. The suggestion itself looks promising.

[drilltooth]

yes, the risk of a building catching fire would be !!fun!!.  just have to rember to stock up on non-flammable buckets.. and posssibly have a milita squad assigned asbestos robes...

[Tharwen]

I think the best thing to do for now would be to make fire travel up and down levels, and to make lava affect constructions. That would make magma-safe materials much more valuable and increase the need for fire escapes and tidy rooms.

[Jake]

The main limitation I see is the total lack of flammable materials in an average dwarf fortress. Unlike a medieval castle, there are no wooden floorboards, no hanging tapestries, nothing like that. Fire would not travel down a solid stone hallway. Dwarves have a pretty good reason to not be afraid of fire: to them, it really isn't such a big deal.

Fires on the surface are still a bit of a problem in many forts, however; unless you're lucky enough to have relatively benign caverns you still need to cut down trees, hunt and occasionally gather and/or grow surface plants up there.

Perhaps the player could designate areas of the site where any fires that break out should be extinguished? That way you could tell them to put out any fires that start in the stockpiles or which threaten the crops but leave the rest to burn itself out. And since individuals being aware that they are on fire and that this is a bad thing is on the to-do list, the !!Pig Tail Sock!! problem ought to be manageable if its owner has the good sense to stop, drop and roll.

[Wimopy]

A simple fire brigade?

Also, making a clothier's shop next to a magma forge does sound like a good way to burn down some things.
Smoke should also be considered dangerous (it might already be, I haven't seen much smoke in caves that caused lung damage)
We have justice, we have healthcare, we have military, all we need now is someone to deal with fires. (And a way to stop, drop and roll.)
What I have found in adventure mode, is that lighting a few shrubs on fire near yourself doesn't seem to do much more than some flashy graphics and smoke that blocks your sight.

Together, a way to put out fires would be nice, both in Fortress Mode (utilising firedwarves) and in adventure mode (Stop, Lye on the ground, roll)

[peskyninja]

it would be nice if they could use sand (when lacking  water) to put out fire.
I've read somewhere that egyptians did like this.

[blizzerd]

The main limitation I see is the total lack of flammable materials in an average dwarf fortress. Unlike a medieval castle, there are no wooden floorboards, no hanging tapestries, nothing like that. Fire would not travel down a solid stone hallway. Dwarves have a pretty good reason to not be afraid of fire: to them, it really isn't such a big deal.

i beg to differ

tunnel fires are one of the most hazardous fires possible, even if there is little or nothing that could lit ablaze in a tunnel, it will still pretty much smoke out everyone inside

air draft in tunnels, and the fact that fire consumes air, and will actually travel towards the place with the most oxygen (the exit/up) makes fire in a tunnel able to travel several decas of meters without needing any burnable material in between

anyway, a fire brigade would be nice, i like the idea

also sand and dirt is actually more efficient at killing fires, but you need more from it then water

water also tends to react badly to a hot fire (boil/steam) so i would say sand and such is probably the better way to kill a fire by dwarfs

[Karakzon]

currently the two main fire zones are cavern fungus floors and surface vegetation.
ive had entire millaterys turn into fat based lollipops on a hot summers day due to fires in those areas.

[Waparius]

Another thing that fits in this topic: Firedamp and pockets of bad air. Having random areas full of explosive, unbreathable gas would be a great underground hazard, especially if you had to send in a leather-armoured, agile dwarf with a torch to blow the stuff up.

Extra hazard would of course be there if dwarves were carrying flaming torches and lanterns on a regular basis.

[peskyninja]

What if dwarfs could use earthenware fire granades? (like those medieval,pre-medieval warriors the naftum,or something similar I can't remember their names.)