Fire: Is it All Bad?
Fire can be deadly: it can destroy homes and wildlife habitats as well as pollute the air with emission that is harmful to everyone.
The invention of Fire:
According to studies, the invention of fire happened in the early "stone age" when our ancestors discovered that when lightning struck a tree, it would create fire. Then they accidentally created it themselves by rubbing two special kinds of stones. But… hold on—why was it called a "great invention” if it caused so many bad things?
Fire is Good:
Everyone thinks fire was a great discovery because we could finally eat cooked food, but it has many more benefits. Take a look:
Cooking food: It’s really important to eat cooked food, as it kills the bacteria inside the food. It improves the taste as well. People eat animal flesh, but if the flesh is not properly cooked, it might not get digested properly, and then you know what could happen.
Fire is really important during winters: Fire has and will always carry a great value during winters. Earlier, people used to sit near a fire to shield themselves from the cold. Even now, you can see many people in rural areas sitting in front of fires. I mean who wouldn’t want to sit in front of a fire and rub their hands and feel extremely cozy during winters? I personally would love that.
Fire=Light: The first thing we do when the electricity blacks out is probably lighting candles or a torch. But before the invention of electricity, fire was the one and only option people had. If they had to go somewhere dark, e.g., a cave, fire came in handy. Even now if you go on a night safari or hunt, you would use fire instead of a torch. Fire is a useful alternative for electric light.
It keeps insects and animals away: You must know this if you have seen "The Jungle Book". Animals are afraid of fire, and we humans take advantage of it. According to Cal Fire, “Fire kills diseases and insects that prey on trees,” therefore keeping the forest healthy. This is an advantage because no one enjoys a mosquito bite.
Since our ancestors discovered fire, we have slowly learned about more and more of its advantages, and there may be some benefits we are not aware of yet.
With all this evidence, we can conclude that fire is not bad, as long as it is used carefully.
That’s all I have for now… till my next article!
Never let the fire inside you die.
Aadya Sharma
Sources:
https://grenadier.co.uk/blog/why-sitting-by-a-fire-has-proven-health-benefits
https://www.fire.ca.gov/media/5425/benifitsoffire.pdf