Fire is light and heat that comes from a chemical reaction. Along with fire comes smoke which is a gas made up of hydrogen, carbon, and oxygen. You will also find char which is nearly pure carbon, and ash which is all the unburnable minerals in the wood. 

Fires can be dangerous to humans, animals, and plant life. They can burn and damage plants and animals, cause erosion, and open up areas to the impacts of feral animal invasion, human interference and vandalism.

Fires can be stopped by removing its fuel, oxygen or heat. We can remove the fuel source by draining it or taking it away, the oxygen by smothering the fire, and the heat by absorbing it with water. Fire extinguishers are often used to control fires by discharging water, foams, carbon dioxide, dry chemicals and other substances. Firefighters help put out all kinds of fires – from kitchen fires to bushfires. 

You need 3 things to create a fire. Heat, fuel, and oxygen.

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1. Heat can include a match, focused light, friction, lightning, or something else that is already burning.

2. Fuel can be wood, or coal.

3. And oxygen is all around us in the air we breathe.

Fire is useful to us for lighting, heating and cooking. It can also be beneficial to the environment when managed correctly. Many Aboriginal peoples have been using controlled fire for thousands of years to create easier access through thick and prickly vegetation, encourage new growth, encourage the development of useful food plants, and for cooking, warmth, signalling, and spirituals practices.