Is fire a living thing?

Question

It eats, it breaths; but is it alive when it does this?

Answer 1

Scientifically, fire is not alive.
Fire is a phenomenon of combustion manifested in intense heat and light in the form of a glow or flames. The word fire when used with an indefinite article is commonly used to describe either a fuel in a state of combustion (such as a campfire or a fire in a fireplace or kitchen stove) or an instance of violent, destructive and uncontrolled burning (such as a wildfire and fires in buildings and vehicles.

Fire is not a state of matter: rather, it is an exothermic chemical reaction accompanied by intense heat released during a rapid oxidation of combustible material. Fire may be visible as the brilliant glow and flames and may produce smoke.

Spiritually, some do believe that fire, or the fire elemental Salamander, is alive, real.

Fire has been important to all peoples of the earth, and it is rich in spiritual tradition.

Western concepts of Fire
Fire is one of the four classical elements in ancient Greek philosophy and science. Fire is considered to be both hot and dry, and according to Plato is associated with the tetrahedron. In one Greek myth, Prometheus stole fire from the gods to protect the otherwise helpless humans and was tortured for his kindness.

In the Hermetic and Wiccan traditions, it is associated with the South, Summer, and the color red on the physical plane. It is sometimes represented by a red upwards triangle, the athame, blood, candles, the guitar, rubies, and incense. Fire represents energy, inspiration, passion, and masculinity. In rituals, Fire is represented in the forms of burning objects, love spells, baking, and lighting candles and fires.

The manifestations of the Element of Fire are the sun, lightning, fires, volcanoes and lava, all forms of light, and ovens. Cats of all types, especially the lion and tiger, are also thought to personify the element of Fire, as are all predatory creatures, such as the fox. Astral creatures of Fire (elementals) are the Salamander, Phoenix, Drake/Dragon and the Falcon (Although most associate this with Air). Fire's place on the pentagram is the lower right point. Fire is represented by the Greeks as an apple-bough and in Christian iconography by a lion. Fire belongs to the Tarot suit of Wands.

Fire is also an element that humans and many other creatures cannot live without for it offers warmth and light.

Non-Western concepts of Fire
In China and Japan Fire is represented by a red bird; in the Aztec religion, by a flint; to the Hindus, a lightning bolt; to the Scythians, an axe.

Answer 2

There are actually six things that are used to determine if something is alive.

It has to move one it's own (plants move toward the sunlight and grow). Fire moves because of outside sources.

It has to eat and expell waste.

It has to reproduce on it's own. Fire requires outside forces such as more fuel to do this (and don't have a family tree).

It has to be made up of at least one biological cell. Fire doesn't contain any cells of its own.

It must response to stimuli.

In short, fire only does only one of those things ("eats"), so it isn't alive.

Answer 3

If I recall my high school biology, in order to be classified as alive something must eat, and by eat I mean metabolize. After metabolization, there is elimination. It must respirate. It has to be capable of reproduction. I don't think fire meets any of those criteria, ipso facto, it is not alive.

Answer 4

No, fire is not alive. It's just the problem of defining what life is.

Fire is a chemical reaction.

Life as we know it, involves specific chemical compounds that can replicate itself - DNA. Fire does not involve DNA so it is not alive.

Answer 5

Not all fire is a living thing, but all living things are fire. Think about this one long and hard enough and you'll see the truth behind it. Or don't; it's your loss.

Answer 6

Yes and No. Its alive when you make it. Its never acutally living. If it takes oxygen, it lives. If you take away the oxygen, it dies. Fire was never born, its just an experiment.

Answer 7

fire, by definition is an element, not living.

for something to be considered life they are cellular, carbon-and-water-based with complex organization, having a metabolism, a capacity to grow, respond to stimuli, reproduce and—through natural selection—adapt.
fire is a chemical reaction that's all. it is not sentient

Answer 8

Yes, fire lives and only those who can control it survives

Answer 9

It's its own phenomenon. It's just the result of a exothermic reaction. It's heat, fuel, and a combustible material.

Answer 10

nop it´s just light and heat , byproducts of a chemical reaction