--- ÆOREST ÆIRE ÆIGHTER --- ÂY ÉAN ÁDAM ÖANCOUVER ÂÃ ÏUT HERE IN THE WOODS OF ÂRITISH ÃOLUMBIA, FIRE IS AN EVER-PRESENT THREAT. ÔHE FORESTS ARE SO IMPORTANT - FOR RECREATION, LUMBER, PAPER, OR AS A VALUABLE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT. ÉN FACT, THEY ARE THE NUMBER ONE INDUSTRY IN THE PROVINCE. ÅACH YEAR, THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF FOREST FIRES THAT DESTROY TREES, ENDANGER ANIMALS, AND THREATEN TOWNS. ÉN SUMMER, THE WOODS ARE TINDER-DRY, AND THE FIRES SPREAD QUICKLY. ÓTARTED PERHAPS BY LIGHTNING AND DRIVEN BY UNPREDICTABLE WINDS, THEY CAUSE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN DAMAGE. ÂUT, IF IT WERE NOT FOR THE HEROIC EFFORTS AND CAREFUL STRATEGIES OF THE FEARLESS FIREFIGHTERS, OR 'SMOKE EATERS', THE TOLL WOULD BE EVEN GREATER THAN IT ALREADY IS. ÔHE CHALLENGE FOR YOU IS TO CONTROL THESE WILD FIRES. ÐUT YOURSELF IN THE SHOES OF THE SMOKE EATERS - PREPARE YOUR STRATEGIES, CHECK YOUR WILL, AND WATCH YOUR HAIR DOESN'T CATCH ON FIRE. ÙOU HAVE THREE BASIC TOOLS IN THIS MISSION. ÔHE FIRST IS A WATER BOMBER: JUST POINT OUT THE LOCATION, AND YOUR VETERAN PILOT WILL DROP A LOAD OF RETARDANT-TREATED WATER. ÄROP IT ON A FIRE AND YOU JUST MAY PUT IT OUT - OR AT LEAST SPEED ITS DEPARTURE. ÄROP IT ON THE FOREST OR A HOUSE, AND YOU WILL REDUCE ITS CHANCE OF CATCHING FIRE. ÙOUR SECOND TOOL IS THE BACKFIRE. ÔHIS REQUIRES DROPPING YOUR SMOKIES INTO AN UNBURNED AREA, WHERE THEY WILL START A SMALL FIRE OF THEIR OWN. ÔHE IDEA IS THAT THIS FIRE WILL CONSUME FUEL AND ACT AS A BARRIER TO THE MAIN FIRE. ÔHIS SMALL FIRE SHOULD BURN OUT QUICKLY (PROVIDED THE WIND DOESN'T CATCH IT, OF COURSE!) ÙOUR FINAL WEAPON IS THE FIREBREAK, AND IT IS ALSO THE HARDEST TO USE. ÙOU AND ONE OF YOUR TRUSTY CREWS MUST DROP BY ROPE FROM A HELICOPTER, DIRECTLY INTO THE PATH OF THE FIRE. ÔHERE, YOU WILL CUT A SWATH THROUGH THE FOREST, IN ORDER TO BREAK THE PROGRESS OF THE FIRE. ÐRAY THAT THE CHOPPER PILOT IS ABLE TO RETURN TO PICK YOU UP! ÂECAUSE OF THE BLOOD, SWEAT, AND TEARS INVOLVED IN CUTTING A FIREBREAK, NOT TO MENTION THE TIME REQUIRED, A CREW WILL ONLY BECOME AVAILABLE ONCE EVERY THREE TURNS. ÈOWEVER, YOU WILL START OUT WITH TWO CREWS ON STANDBY. ÉT IS ONLY RARELY THAT A FIRE WILL BE ABLE TO JUMP OVER SUCH A CAREFULLY CONSTRUCTED BREAK. ÙOUR GREATEST CONCERN MUST BE THE WIND. ×ATCH ITS DIRECTION CAREFULLY, AND TRY TO ANTICIPATE THE FIRE'S SPREAD. ×ITH LUCK YOU WILL CONTAIN THE FIRE. ÂUT WATCH FOR A SUDDEN CHANGE IN WIND DIRECTION, WHICH COULD TURN YOUR PLANS TO ASHES! ÔHIS SIMULATION GIVES YOU A CHOICE OF FOUR DIFFICULTY LEVELS. ÕNTIL YOU LEARN THE ROPES, É WOULD STRONGLY SUGGEST THAT YOU STAY WITH THE BEGINNER LEVELS! ÁFTER YOU HAVE SELECTED YOUR LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY, THE FOREST AREA THAT YOU HAVE TO PATROL WILL BE SHOWN NEXT. ÙOU WILL QUICKLY RECOGNIZE THE FIRES SHOWN IN RED (THEN YELLOW), HOUSES IN WHITE, AND LAKES IN BLUE. ÕSE THE CURSOR KEYS TO INDICATE A TARGET, THEN PRESS: - × FOR YOUR WATER BOMBER - Â TO START A BACKFIRE - Æ TO CUT A FIREBREAK - È FOR HELP (TO REVIEW THIS MANUAL). ÔHE SCREEN WILL SHOW HOW MANY CREWS ARE AVAILABLE TO YOU FOR FIREBREAKS. ÙOU CAN PRESS Ñ TO QUIT, IF THE GOING GETS TOO TOUGH. ÉF YOU DON'T QUIT, BUT PUT THE FIRES OUT INSTEAD, YOU WILL BE GIVEN YOUR SCORE, BASED ON HOW MUCH FOREST AND HOW MANY HOMES YOU HAVE SAVED. ÉF YOU HAVE LEARNED YOUR LESSONS WELL, YOU MAY BE AWARDED THE ULTIMATE HONOUR OF PLACING YOUR NAME IN THE 'ÓMOKE ÅATERS ÈALL OF ÆLAME'. ÇOOD LUCK, AND MAY YOU LIVE LONG ENOUGH TO BENEFIT FROM THE EXPERIENCE! ÍANUAL PRINTED COURTESY OF ÊEFFREY ÊONES, HONORARY SMOKE EATER.