The Last Fire

The world didn’t end with a bang. It didn’t end with a war or a nuclear fall out. Instead the world ended slowly; and it ended in fire.

Mia watched the dashboard light up with three new red dots just north of the city. It was a nightmare. She’d already sent her last crew to a southside fire yesterday. At this point she was going to have to start pulling crews away from yellows in hopes that they wouldn’t flare back to red too soon. Her eyes blurred as she tries to find the non-existent green lights on the bored. She was already running out of time.

“Lara, send the evacuation alert to Area 17. Kurt I need you to recall Team Star back from fire 209, and send them to fire 415.” She made the calls to the other grim faces around the dash.

“But where do I evacuate them to?” Lara glanced up at her team lead. Mia’s nostril flared as she forced herself to take another deep breath.

“I don’t know Lara. But we have to send the alert. Or the media will clap down on us. And I will not be the one to stop calling the alerts.” Mia lowered her eyes down to the bored and struggled to find another team to send to the south. They were out of units, and they weren’t anywhere close to the capitals for the military to be of aid. With each new fire it became a bigger political battle. Last week one of the national wonders had caught on fire, and while the whole world was made aware of it, they were never told of the countless of chalets and local homes lost from other fires. Not that the rich and famous could really do anything about it, they were too busy taking private jets to private get away islands. Same with most of the world leaders.

After year three of the fires, anyone who was someone got out.

“Take team A from the Capital.” Mia instructed. Kurt shook his head. “No can do. Their call back radios are blocked.” Mia groaned. She’d been forced to give up one of her teams weeks ago, but she couldn’t count on the same sacrifices.

“I guess we put out more calls for volunteers. How many did we get from the last call?” Mia directed her next inquiry to Travis.

“Two. But I can sent another one out. Do you want me to wave one of the minor health disqualifiers?” Travis looked up from his computer.

“Are there even any minor health conditions left?: Lara snorted. She was losing hope in the whole thing. Mia squeezed the bridge of her nose.

“Disqualify everything but asthma and respiratory conditions.” Mia suggested. She didn’t see what else there was to do. Tell every chronically ill individual they couldn’t fight to save their lives? If there wasn’t anywhere to evacuate them too, they would die any ways.

Two more dots popped onto the screen. Kurt groaned. “Team Star will have to stray in the south. That new fire just blocked off our last access road between the north and the south. Mia felt her heart drop.

“The south isn’t going to last long. Everything is already too dry from the summer.” Lara crossed her arms as she glared at the map. “Can we get people up to the mountains?”

Mia glanced at her Evacuation lead. “We could try. But I don’t know how many people can make it up there.” It was hard for Mia to keep the frustration out of her voice. She was losing. And she hated to lose. Lara set to work sending out the new evacuation orders.

“The media is going to have a hay day. “Local dispatches send homeless to the mountains for their death.” Kurt rolled his eyes.

“We don’t need to think about them right now. If things keep going this way there isn’t going to be anyone left to read or watch the reports.” Mia crossed her arms. Lara looked at her, but she just shrugged.

“I still have Beth’s number. I could see if she can get out of the capital.” Travis suggested. Mia shook her head. “ If they caught them leaving without orders, she’d be labelled a deserter. And thanks to the minister, she’d be shot on site.”

Lara looked down. Beth use to be her best friend before she and Travis started dating. But that didn’t mean she wanted her to die. “Have we checked the death logs today.” She looked at Mia.

“No one we know.” Mia shot. Lara glared. “How many?”

“You don’t want to know.”

“Mia.”

“Seven hundred. But that’s a combination of sections 15-17.” Travis interjected. Mia shot him a look.

“What are we even still doing here Mia.” Lara sighed. Mia felt her forehead go hot. “I don’t know Lara.” Her voice had raised an octave. “If we leave, we get shot. If we stay we watch people die. I don’t have an answer Lara. Take it up with the minister who issued the last policy update from whatever tropical island he’s currently sitting on.” She was like a storm. Lara raised her hands.

“I’m not trying to pin this on you. But how much longer are you going to pretend that it’s not over. We have to leave. No one’s even going to be out there to shoot us anymore.” Lara began. She’d tried this road before and ultimately was out voted. Travis shook his head. He’d made it clear last time he was staying. Kurt looked down. Even though he has elected to stay the last time, it wasn’t hard for Mia to see that he was beginning to regret not leaving.

“I can’t leave Lara. If you want to go. Than go. But the way I see it. We are going to die either way. And even if there isn’t anything more to do…” Mia found herself lost for words. Mia deflated. She wasn’t leaving either. She never did no matter how many times she said she would. She mumbled something about finishing the evacuation report.

Mia sagged her own shoulders as she started at the board. She needed a green dot. Something. But she was met with something she hadn’t seen before. A large purple dot has blossomed on the centre of the board.