Talk:Puzzles/How do you ... ?/The Burning Island

Hi Etothex,

nice puzzle! My first guess would be that he "swims around" the fire (swimming out from the east shore and returning on the west shore once the forest has already been burnt there) but maybe that solution is too trivial... Thomas


 * Oops, copied the problem wrong. Try again. Etothex 08:33, 5 Oct 2003 (UTC)

Here's another attempt: He sets a fire at about 1/4 from the east end and waits in the center of the island. When the "eastern" fire (which moves to the east since the wind is coming from west) is burnt out, the "western" fire caused by the lighting should be only 1/4 from the west end (and not endangering the man). Then the man can walk to the east end and be safe from the "western" fire which will stop 1/4 from the east coast because there is nothing left to burn. Thomas


 * Yep, that's it. Now I've got to find more. :) Etothex 09:11, 5 Oct 2003 (UTC)