The Other Side

Ember(mini chapter)

Location: New Vale

Refugees have moved into Vale over the past few weeks. NO forces have nearly pulled out with the only remaining units being the DCM and the base around it. Even then the base is mostly for Vale to use and the DCM building is mainly filled with the citizens of Vale. The total numbers of NO forces in Vale is 1000 soldiers, 60 helicopter pilots, 24 fighter pilots, 12 CAS bomber pilots, 4 cargo plane pilots, 16 firefighters, 300 DCM agents, 200 logistical and support units, and finally 100 command personnel. The official statement for the number of NO personnel in Vale is 1716. Under Vale is another 200 NOID and DCM agents to defend the failsafe, they were not counted in the 1716 to minimize public knowledge of SAVIOR. 

Location: NORD WFM watch tower 33

The New Orderian Rescue Division like every other division has ministries. The Wildfire Ministry exists to control, not stop, wildfires. They act in association with the NOWLD(Wild Life Division)'s Rangers to maintain the forests and the NOPPD(Park Police Department). These agencies are intertwined with one another, the NOWLD has firefighters, WFM has rangers, and the park police works as additional helicopter support for fires and as the name implies, polices national parks. There is a common consensus among all these groups: hopefully we are useless. That is not the case.

Ranger: WFM tower 33 to tower 35 and 20, smoke rising at 07 degrees from my tower, about 5 miles north, do you see it?

Radio: Tower 35, we see it.

Radio: 2-0 tower has eyes on.

Ranger: 10-4, WFM tower 33 to Station Panorama, smoke rising from grid 768. 7 miles south of Vale. Wind blowing west.

Location: NORD Panorama Station

The station's siren was going off and the firefighters got on their gear. They then climbed into the three helicopters and began to take off. Another crew entered the brush units parked at the side of the station. As the helicopters took off people in Vale started to notice the small plume of smoke rising in the forest.

Firefighter: What is the plan Cap?

Captain: same as always, get a fire line built to the west. In the south there is a creek so we anchor off of that. After getting the line cut we swing north. Watch for a shift in wind, if it blows north the objective changes.

Radio: VFD has been alerted and has engines on standby. NO military firefighters are also prepared to send 16 men.

Captain: 10-4 dispatch.

Pilot: 3 minutes out, damn is that thing roaring.

The fire had spread a mile west at this point as the helicopters passed in formation.

Captain: Change of plans, swinging north will take to long, use retardant as soon as possible on the north side and refill wherever you see a suitable location.

The helicopters couldn't get close enough so the firefighters had to use fast ropes to get down. They immediately started cutting back trees and bushes to keep the flames back as sirens got closer. The helicopters were dumping fire retardant on the north side while firefighters stopped the spread on the west. Firefighting efforts continued for the rest of the day. Radiant Station sent their firefighters to secure the east and aid with whatever the Panorama crews needed. 

The new issue was what caused the fire. NOWLD rangers and NOPPD officers began investigations on the  center of the fire and moved east. Eventually a decently sized crater was found with metal pieces around it. A small metal hazmat diamond was found with a small sign below it saying gasoli before being cut off by scorch marks. It was obvious that this was arson and odds are more fires would start soon.