Brain Teasers
Dellzup
Harry was on holiday last year on the island of Dellzup. Dellzup has a really peculiar shape for an island. It's rectangular, 20 miles long and only 15 feet wide, and is totally covered in trees! It has two tiny villages on it, Start and End. Unfortunately, a fire has begun at Start and is travelling toward End at around 1 mile per hour. There is also a wind which is blowing towards End at around 2 miles per hour. Now Harry, who is at End, has no way of getting off the island: he cannot pass through the fire, he cannot put the fire out, and there is no one to help him. How can he save himself?
Answer
The simplest method is to light a new fire about 1 mile from End. This fire will burn toward End (because of the wind) and when it reaches End, it will go out. Harry can then go to End, knowing that the main fire cannot reach him as his smaller fire has already burned all of the trees down.Hide Answer Show Answer
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Comments
Or if he can swim, he could walk close
to the fire and try to swim around it.
If he can't swim, he could still immerse himself
in the water near the shore and wait for the fire
to pass. There were one or two people who
survived the Oakland Hills fire a few years ago in California
by diving into a swimming pool and waiting for
the flames to pass over them.
to the fire and try to swim around it.
If he can't swim, he could still immerse himself
in the water near the shore and wait for the fire
to pass. There were one or two people who
survived the Oakland Hills fire a few years ago in California
by diving into a swimming pool and waiting for
the flames to pass over them.
I thought of going into the water as well. but I think that I have read this puzzle in a puzzle book before. Any ways, I like this one. Good job!!!
It is a good idea but rather dangerous even for a Charliesangel!
Harry can stop the fire by putting an END to it .
Harry can, together with the ppl from END, chop down an area of trees anywhere between START and END which is a few feet in length (and 15 feet wide - the width of the island). Once the chopped trees are cleared out, the fire will die once it reaches the empty space. Not only will Harry (and the people from END) be saved, but also some trees from the island. Furthermore, as there is less wood burning, less air pollution is produced! LOL :-)
Ok, seriously speaking, this one was great fun :-)
Ok, seriously speaking, this one was great fun :-)
That was a neat idea - use a small fire to save yourself from a big fire.
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