Fires are common in Sardinia, the island of my birth and home. They are as prevalent as grasshoppers in several African countries. This is an ancient scourge, as evidenced by the 1300 collection of laws known as the Carta de Logu, which prescribed death by burning at the stake for arsonists. Even today, hundreds of fires break out during the summer, fueled by the mighty mistral wind, and almost always caused intentionally. The motives range from revenge to real estate interests, from creating new pastures for livestock to sheer madness. In the face of such devastation, heroes emerge, often destined to remain anonymous: the firefighters who bravely battle to contain the flames and protect lives and property.