A Japanese priest set a kimono on fire in Tokyo because it carried bad luck. The flames spread until over 10,000 buildings were destroyed and 100,000 people died. (Year: 1657)

When you burn copper, the flames are green.

When you burn cobalt, the flames are purple.

Alcohol flames can be clear or invisible.

Fire requires three elements to exist: fuel, oxygen, and heat. This is known as the “fire triangle.”

Fire spreads more rapidly uphill than downhill due to the preheating of fuel ahead of the flames.

Lightning strikes cause a significant number of wildfires. In fact, lightning is responsible for about 10% of all wildfires worldwide.

Fire tornadoes, also known as fire whirls, are a rare phenomenon that occurs when intense heat and turbulent winds combine to create a spinning vortex of flames.

Firefighters often use controlled burns, also known as prescribed fires, to manage ecosystems and reduce the risk of larger, uncontrolled wildfires.

The world’s longest-lasting wildfire, known as the Burning Mountain, has been burning underground in Australia for thousands of years.

Fire can move faster than you might expect. In certain conditions, wildfires can travel at speeds of up to 14 miles per hour (23 kilometers per hour).

Fire can create its own wind, known as a fire-induced wind or “firestorm.” This occurs when the intense heat causes the surrounding air to rise rapidly, pulling in cooler air and creating strong winds.

Flames always burn upwards due to the effects of convection. The hot gases and flames rise, drawing in more oxygen and fuel from below.

Ben Franklin’s original ‘Franklin stove’ was not what we think of as a Franklin Stove these days. Franklin stove has come to mean a woodstove with full-width metal doors. However, the original Franklin stove was a very weird thing that looked like a large egg on a pedestal. Air was sucked in through holes in the top, down through the fuel on a grate inside the egg, then passed through pipes under the floor, and finally up a chimney on the far side of the room. The hope was extreme efficiency not to mention warm flooring. However, this was a very difficult stove to light and maintain. Ben Franklin would not admit that his design was flawed. He said servants were ‘too stupid’ to work his stove.

Fire can cause the release of harmful pollutants and toxins, including carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds, and particulate matter, which can have severe health effects.

Some plants and trees have evolved to depend on fire for their survival. They have thick bark or cones that require the intense heat of a fire to release their seeds and regenerate.

Firefighters often use fire shelters, which are small, portable tents made of fire-resistant materials, to protect themselves from intense heat and flames.

Fire can produce different types of smoke, depending on the fuel and conditions. Smoke can be thick and black, indicating incomplete combustion, or white and billowing, indicating a well-ventilated fire.

Fire can melt certain metals, such as aluminum and copper, at relatively low temperatures. This property has practical applications in metalworking and welding.

The temperature of a typical house fire can reach up to 1,100 degrees Fahrenheit (593 degrees Celsius) or higher.

The concept of “stop, drop, and roll” was developed to teach people how to extinguish flames on their clothing if they catch fire. The famous drummer and entrepreneur Travis Barker was told to stop, drop and roll by yelling bystanders when the airplane in which he was a passenger overshot the runway and burst into flames. Because of this, although he was severely injured, he did not die.

Firefighters use special thermal imaging cameras to locate hotspots and hidden fires by detecting the infrared radiation emitted by flames and heat.

Silly Laws Involving Fire

These are legal offenses, still on the books.

Do not burn “offal” in New York City.

In Oregon, it is illegal to go hunting for big game while it is on fire (Oregon Revised Statutes Section 164.305).

In Massachusetts, it is illegal to explode a nuclear device within city limits, except on Sundays (Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 22C, Section 6).

In Michigan, it is illegal to keep an alligator in a fire hydrant (Michigan Compiled Laws Section 750.49).

In Ohio, it is illegal to disrobe in front of a man’s portrait, except in cases of fire (Ohio Revised Code Section 2907.09).