Am I crazy or is this burning swamp unrealistic?

[charliechuckleberry]

I started a colony in a heavy swamp watery area. I just had a dry thunder storm and it started several fires which burned through the entire swamp.

#1) I cannot build a cement boundary around my city because it's mostly swamp.
#2) The fire caused by the dry thunder burned through my entire town, because I assumed the water/swamp would stop the fire.

Is it "me" being unreasonable to assume water/swamp would stop a fire from spreading, or is it normal for swamp fires to get out of control, and spread faster than my five villagers could put it out?

[Vulpesrojo]

Feel free to google for "can swamps burn?". It's not unheard of irl, and all that swamps do in game is make the ground ♥♥♥♥♥ for building on. Can still grow a variety of plants within the fire jump distance, so swamps can and will burn. Quite easily.

[gimmethegepgun]

Originally posted by charliechuckleberry:

#1) I cannot build a cement boundary around my city because it's mostly swamp.

You can make a (temporary) fire break by designating the area to be cut, so they'll remove all of the plants.
It won't last very long though. Swamps are really virulent in their growth.

[Astasia]

Fun fact: Swamps are full of rotting matter that creates various combustible gases like methane. These gases occasionally rise into the air and ignite creating floating balls of fire known as a "will-o'-the-wisp." Other times these gases heat up below the surface and eventually start to burn, the peat can smolder for a very long time, this causes cracks and holes to open up in the ground and can occasionally spark out and cause vegetation fires on the surface.

So yes, fire in swamps is pretty normal and realistic even without lightning storms causing them.

[RCMidas]

Isn't there a fire in some Pennsylvanian mine or another that's been burning for about 40 years or so now? That's the same basic principle. Swamps can be horrendously combustible if the conditions are right.

[gimmethegepgun]

Originally posted by RCMidas:

Isn't there a fire in some Pennsylvanian mine or another that's been burning for about 40 years or so now? That's the same basic principle. Swamps can be horrendously combustible if the conditions are right.

Yes (though it's been 59 years)[en.wikipedia.org], but that's a coal mine, which is more obviously flammable than a very wet biome.
There's also a flaming crater in Turkmenistan known as the Door to Hell[en.wikipedia.org] that has been on fire for probably about 50 years and who knows how long it will keep burning.

[ichifish]

Originally posted by charliechuckleberry:

Is it "me" being unreasonable to assume water/swamp would stop a fire from spreading, or is it normal for swamp fires to get out of control, and spread faster than my five villagers could put it out?

I wouldn’t go so far as to call you unreasonable, but in the realm of Rimworld physics, where mountains can be held up by columns, you can’t build bridges out of anything other than wood, and organics can withstand 100+ degrees Celsius, forest fires in swamps are pretty much to be expected.

If it makes you feel better, I keep getting pawns killed because it seems reasonable that people would remove roofs before supporting walls.

[Hoki]

we assume pawns (or dupes in ONI) to be the dumbest things alive. if we do the same for legit human beings..... guess the jokes on you for that assumption. i've seen and worked with such beings.

[charliechuckleberry]

I guess it's safe to assume Rimworld physics are not based on reality. I think building a stone wall over the ponds/swamps is the best fix when you cannot build cement on the ground.

I'm surprised nobody suggested it. Unless, can stone walls catch on fire in this game????? Wow, they most likely can burn considering the ponds can burn too. I better test it out first.

This is my team trying to put out fires at the borders of my town:
https://img.onmanorama.com/content/dam/mm/en/news/nation/images/2020/6/11/assam-fire.jpg

[Helios]

Pretty annythink can burn in real life its just a matter how the fire started. Pure watter can stop fire in rimwold most time it only moves 1 tile a great way to stop a fire is explosives you can put out 5 tiles with a grenade just be carefull with other colonist its because it destroys the burning material.Its unreal that steelwalls can burn here yes stone should be fine.

[charliechuckleberry]

Originally posted by Helios:

Pretty annythink can burn in real life its just a matter how the fire started. Pure watter can stop fire in rimwold most time it only moves 1 tile a great way to stop a fire is explosives you can put out 5 tiles with a grenade just be carefull with other colonist its because it destroys the burning material.Its unreal that steelwalls can burn here yes stone should be fine.

Sometimes I wonder why they don't allow bridges made out of stone... and then you build a stone wall around your wooden bridge FOR THE WIN!!! LOL

[I.B.N.K.]

Originally posted by ichifish:

... and organics can withstand 100+ degrees Celsius...

100 degrees Celsius is nice sauna temperature.

[War Pig Wizard]

Swamps burn, way more than you think. A lot of dead rotting plant matter and when the water is low, well thats a lot of firewood just waiting for a light.

[Solitus]

Originally posted by I.B.N.K.:

Originally posted by ichifish:

... and organics can withstand 100+ degrees Celsius...

100 degrees Celsius is nice sauna temperature.

....no....100 degrees is the temperature at which water boils.... you would cook yourself alive in a a sauna like that. 90, yes. 100? no.

[charliechuckleberry]

Originally posted by Solitus:

Originally posted by I.B.N.K.:

100 degrees Celsius is nice sauna temperature.

....no....100 degrees is the temperature at which water boils.... you would cook yourself alive in a a sauna like that. 90, yes. 100? no.

0C = 32F = freezing point of water
100c = 212f = boiling point of water

So, normal saunas operate at 80F, which is something like 35C or close to it.

[LIMP BISQUICK]

Is it "me" being unreasonable to assume water/swamp would stop a fire from spreading,

It does prevent fire from spreading if the tile is wet, Marsh is wet. However marshy soil is more like mud except plants are able to grow on it. Those are flammable and fire will jump.