The Basics of Fire

Fire is the visible effect of a special chemical reaction called combustion, in which fuel reacts with oxygen in the air to release heat energy. It’s the same type of chemical reaction that causes a burning piece of paper to glow orange, and the same kind of reaction that makes an iron nail rust.

To start a fire, the fuel must be heated to its ignition temperature, which is usually much higher than the normal temperature of the material. Once a flame is ignited, the chemical reactions that produce it continue as long as there is enough fuel and oxygen to keep them going. That’s why it takes a while to get a fire started and why some things burn more easily than others.

During a fire, the molecules of the fuel break apart and release gaseous particles, or vapors. When the gases come in contact with oxygen in the air, they ignite and combine to form new molecules that are completely different from the original fuel. The reaction produces heat, and the hotter parts of the flame glow blue, orange or yellow.

The fire also releases carbon dioxide and water. These are the byproducts of combustion, and they are produced at a lower rate than the heat energy from the fuel. This means that the amount of energy that a fire consumes is less than the amount that it produces.

When a forest fire moves too close to homes, the people living there must evacuate. They may also have to leave their jobs in order to protect their property, or lose it to the flames. People who live near wildfires might also have to move or change their jobs, and children could miss school due to smoke and ash in the air.

Fires are important to ecosystems, and they provide many benefits for living organisms. They remove dead organic material that would otherwise clog soil and prevent living organisms from accessing the nutrients in it. In addition, the ashes from burned plants can fertilize the soil. Some natural fires are spontaneous, but humans have been using controlled fire for thousands of years to accomplish certain goals for their land.

These are called “prescribed” or “controlled” burns, and they involve carefully planned and regulated fires with very tight safety parameters. Humans use prescribed burns to reduce the spread of wildfires and to create healthier grasslands, where animals can graze more easily. They also help control erosion and reduce the risk of flooding. They can also be used to kill insects that carry diseases and clear brush from the land for cultivation. In some places, indigenous people still practice this ancient tradition.