10 SEPTEMBER 21-27, 2023 westword.com WESTWORD | MUSIC | CAFE | CULTURE | NIGHT+DAY | NEWS | LETTERS | CONTENTS | down a wide barrier of chemical retardant in front of the fi re’s leading edge. Unmanned vehicles can directly hit fi res from the front. We could have covered buildings and wooden houses in town. Think of our tech as a nuclear- powered spray can on wheels. Or a fi re ex- tinguisher times 10,000. In Maui, they ran out of fresh water to fi ght the fi res. We could have used seawater and never run out. We can protect people, property and the planet.” In late August, a former National Park Service Hotshot fi refi ghter and a representa- tive of the U.S. Department of Energy visited Wolf’s home to check out his technology. The DOE rep told him that his Hurricane could help minimize fi res ignited by electric trans- mission lines. (Maui County offi cials have blamed the fi res on the state’s largest electric utility, claiming in a lawsuit that “intentional and malicious” mismanagement of power lines allowed fl ames to spark. Following the Marshall fi re, seven lawsuits were combined into one big legal action against Xcel Energy.) “Given that utility companies have been implicated in many of the costliest and dead- liest fi res,” Wolf says, “they should be leading the charge to investing in technology that can make our electrical grids safer.” Gregory Vigneaux, the ex-Hotshot who examined Wolf’s tech, has fought fi res in more than ten states, going into remote and rugged areas to build “fi reline” — a break in fuel made by cutting, scraping or digging. “What Team Wildfi re is creating,” he says, “has the potential to support, if not augment, how wildfi res are fought. Being able to control the weather along the fi reline may increase fi refi ghter safety by securing the burning edge, behind or in front of fi re- fi ghters. As a former Hotshot, I have a close connection with operations and can greatly appreciate what Team Wildfi re is doing.” After getting the next round of funding, Wolf plans to fl y to Canada, where logging equipment manufacturer Tigercat has its headquarters in Brantford, Ontario. The full-scale, three-engine Hurricanes can be based on this machinery for mountain fi res or used on Ardco-based trucks for off-road conditions. Then he’ll go to California to show the state with the most annual wildfi res what his technology can do. “They’ll start prescribed fi res,” he says, “and we’ll turn the Hurricane loose on them.” Wolf’s goal is to have Team Wildfi re’s fleets standing by for rapid deployment wherever fi res may start, anywhere in the world: Canada, Australia, Greece, Portugal, Italy…. In addition to putting out fi res, he hopes to inspire others who harbor creative ideas to tackle challenges they’ve been told were impossible. “In 1899,” he says, “the head of the U.S. Patent Offi ce is — falsely — purported to have said they could shut down because everything had been invented. Clearly not. My generation has created very serious problems for the planet. Before we die, we should empower the next generation to solve some of these problems. If we’ve lit the world on fi re, the least we can do is leave our kids the tools to blow it out.” Email the author at [email protected]. Blowback continued from page 8 VIRGIL ORTIZ EXPERIENCE INDIGENOUS FUTURISM NOW HistoryColorado.org/Revolt SEE 3D History Colorado Call Elaine Lustig, PhD .......................................................... at 303-369-7770 Needing Your Emotional ....... Animal W/ You? For eligible people who need their emotional support animal to accompany them at/or away from home, I am available to provide the documentation and counseling. CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED www.innerbeatyoga.com YOUR GROOVE
