Done D Fire goes into the end of 1.5

Traveler and Angelica’s phones woke them up, started reading the important stuff into their earpieces. This was morning 41 of the fire. There was no chance firefighters would be able to save dwellings, if they could keep it from crossing the Interstate, that would be a win. A Circle squad would be taking them into the field, from time to time a fire fighter would have a look at them, they clearly didn't belong, too clean.

They crossed, single file in case something happens to the line leader, into their assigned area on a bumpy dirt forest road. Hot shots are only needed where a bull dozer can't go, dangerous, tough terrain. Sawyer, swamper, sweeper, they move deceptively slow, because they are out for hours and they are actually a machine, a process. Clearing brush, trying to rob the fire of the fuel it needed to continue to grow, smoke, soot, was everywhere.

Angelica grasped the challenge immediately, the robot needed to be able to operate on unfriendly terrain. When they stopped she checked in with one of the scene commanders that had come along. Firefighters are not big on VIPs, but Angela’s robots were developing a reputation.

OK sir, I know it has to be safe, not maiming firefighters, yet deadly to underbrush. Two things were obvious from just this one trip, a robotic dozer is going to consume lots of carbide teeth and batteries. I’ll have to make these field swappable. I’m guessing your people are comfortable with basic mechanical tasks?

Quite, he replied, we have a lot of gear to keep running and can’t keep leaving our area to get things fixed.

Angela nodded, Solar will probably work, if you had a lot of cloudy, rainy weather, you wouldn't have much of a wildfire problem. We can do port, starboard, charging batteries from solar fabric at camp for the next day, don’t suppose you would mind a bit of extra shade.

Cap let out a belly laugh, everybody knows wildfires usually come with hot, dry, conditions.

Here’s the big question, before I came out here in the field I was envisioning fairly large machines. But after that wind gust at lunch when everybody scattered looking for embers, I realized a second class of robot might be needed, something very lightweight, about the size of a chalkboard eraser, designed to swarm, seek out small hot spots and neutralize them.

Cap nodded, when the wind comes up, our problems go to the next level, that’s when the men have to reach fifth gear.  That’s how you get trapped too, ember lights off the dry fuel below you. I’d like to give those things a try.

Thanks, Angelica said, I think I have a general idea of what to do. And of course Traveler would want the carbon sequestered, but that was his problem, she would chew it up, he could manage the conversion. One real problem is erosion. It would be better to cut brush 5 cm above the forest floor leaving the roots intact. If you didn't want to collect the carbon you could actually leave the cuttings right on the ground, they don't burn because the dirt side has no oxygen. They would have to experiment with blade height to strike the best balance. After a fire, the mud slides can be deadly to anyone, or thing below.

The machine had to be tough, duh, but one advantage is handling snags, jammed up trees that are a falling danger. It it was any size, the tree would probably disable the robot, but at least it wouldn't come down on a person. That alone, pitched to the squads correctly, would probably help with the soft skill factors in deploying the machines.