The M-451 Firestorm flamethrower is a product of human ingenuity, ruthlessness, and industrial espionage. Its origin dates back to the 2160s, when human colonists to new planets used flamethrowers to clear vegetation or ice. The fuels performed erratically on planets with extremely cold temperatures and differing air compositions from Earth. Realizing this could be a problem for military units, Systems Alliance intelligence operatives stole the turian design for the "Hieras" flamethrower, a battle-tested workhorse that functioned in nearly every environment.