fire handler

Due to the inherent hazards of their work, fire handlers are respected but also slightly feared.

Fire handling is a rare occupation. Almost all are on Mraydor, as part of the volcano research crew. Some Water Seekers have also been trained in handling fire. A fire handler who can attract enough water to quickly extinguish an unwanted flame is a valuable asset.

In the first half of the Oceanic Era, any long-distance voyaging craft kept a live hearth aboard for cooking and making tools and repairs, carrying a very real risk of catastrophic damage. Most tellings of Tiamou's Voyage recount a boat fire as one of the mishaps, showing that Tideriders understood what a danger it posed to have open flame on board. The oldest available logs, dating back nearly to 5000 Oce, already mention flameless methods of heating.   The modern profession of fire handling arose out of the shipboard role of "fire guard". Crewmembers took round-the-clock shifts tending the boat's fire as well as keeping anything from igniting that wasn't supposed to. As solar ovens and flame pumps came into common use, firetending became obsolete. The last reference to a fire guard is in a log from 7500 Oce, and is about someone no longer living. On the islands, volcano heat is our primary source of energy, and fire handlers are now employed only when there is no reasonable alternative.

A few of the many tools fire handlers use:

• Flame pump: a tube with a piston that heats scraps of flammable material to the ignition point to create embers.
• Scoop tongs: perforated hemispheres attached to long handles, to completely contain embers without cutting off their access to air.
• Air pipe: a long, thin metal tube with an insulated grip that allows handlers to blow at the base of a flame from a safe distance.
• Clay blanket: a piece of fabric infused with clay that can be tossed on a small fire to put it out.

The purpose of the safety tools and clothing is to prevent fire handlers from getting burned, but most people who take the job leave it with a small number of scars.