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.