Writing Prompt #29: Fire

Fire is fascinating. It is life-giving and life-taking. Some firefighters say fire is like a living being.

Did you know the color of the flames is determined by three things?Whatever substance is burning (the fuel), completeness of combustion, and temperature.

Did you know there are three different colors of flames? Red, yellow, and blue.

For example, a blue flame is the hottest followed by a yellow flame, then orange and red flames. Hydrocarbon gases burn blue. Wood, coal, or candles burn yellow, orange or red.

Regardless of the color of flames or the fuel, for is universal.

Many people refer to flames as dancing. Many people have seen images or faces in the flames and some scholars believe this is where images of imps, demons, and devils originated.

I can stare at a fire for a very long time. Especially a wood burning fire. The combination of the flames, the cracking and popping of the wood, and the smell work as an hypnotic on me.

I love the flickering light a flame produces, whether it's from an oil lamp, a candle, or a fireplace. I have found candlelight to be romantic, mostly because it is much more flattering to my skin than harsh overhead lights. Everything gets sort of muzzy and dreamy in candle light.

When we first moved here to Texas, Keith had yet to rewire the house for electricity. We went to bed when it got dark. I would read by candle light. I would have at least 3 candles burning by my bedside. The words would dance across the page. It gave the fiction an extra little oomph.

What is your relationship to fire? Do you like it? Hate it? Love it? Fear it?

Farmers use fire to fertilize the soil and replenish it with important nutrients. Many people in South East Asia cook over an open flame. In the West, people have fake fireplaces in their homes. I guess I can see the appeal of having what looks like a fire without all of the heat, mess, and danger. I can't see myself every purchasing a fake fireplace.

People use the word fire in many different ways. When somebody in the U.S. is made redundant from their place of employ, we say they got fired. When someone is super excited we say they are all fired up.

Are there different meanings for the word fire in your language or culture?

What do you see when you stare into the flames?

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1. Join the Promptly Jonica community here

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