Rise of the Reds Update #62: Under New Management news

"Always stand behind the man with the flamethrower but never close to him" - PLA Infantry Primer
If you were born tall and assigned to the Chengdu region, chances are you would be picked to attend pyrotechnics specialization and carry one of these flamethrowers into combat. They are capable of spewing liquid flames that can light enemy soldiers and structures ablaze with a special napalm fuel mix courtesy of General Mau. They are however quite unstable and don't react very well to enemy fire. Seasoned Pyro Technicians are prone to develop mental disturbances and normally consult psychiatrist treatment at some point.

In 2014, a seemingly innocuous train crashed a few kilometres outside Mudanjiang in the North-East of China. Moments later, the residents of the city outskirts were shaken awake by a bright flash and the sound of a massive explosion. The military was quickly dispatched to lock down the surrounding area and recover the wreckage whilst official Chinese news agencies merely reported of a conventional gas explosion. However, leaked internal reports later revealed the disturbing truth to the world: The train was actually carrying an entire arsenal of experimental sub-kiloton nuclear shells, designed for short-range tactical delivery by means of a heavy infantry mortar. Shockingly, the weapons were only equipped with the most basic safety mechanisms, one of which had now failed catastrophically. Colonel Tsing Shi Tao, the lead designer of the new weapon, quickly realised that this disaster could cost him his entire career. In a surprising move, the man who would later become a hotly debated figure for his liberal use of atomic bombs against GLA holdouts in Central Asia donned a protective suit and organised the entire recovery of the remaining shells himself from within the blast zone, averting what could have easily become one of the most devastating nuclear disasters in history. The development of the new warhead was put on halt, as it was deemed too unsafe even by its creator. Several years later, the young General Hu Tan Mau gave the project another chance and has recently adopted a revised version with improved safety features for use by his mortar operators, who jokingly refer to themselves as "The Nukeneers" for their drastic approach to practical problems on the battlefield.

Addendum:
Noobtorial - How to use the Pyros properly

Due to the volatile nature of his weapon, the Pyro Technician is very vulnerable to enemy fire and goes up in deadly fireball upon contact with explosions, flames, lightning bolts and other special attack types, potentially damaging friendly units nearby. As such, they should not be used without cover and never in masses. Instead, the Pyros display their most effective performance whenever they fire from protected positions such as garrisoned structures, fortified bunkers or the fireports of an upgraded Overlord tank.