Fire control is considered one of humanity’s most significant achievements. The existence of fire is also one of the remarkable aspects of Earth.
Fire – the unique gift from heaven and earth to mankind
In Greek mythology, the god Prometheus suffered horrific punishments for stealing fire from the gods. According to legend, Prometheus was the deity who created mankind, and he stole fire from Zeus, giving it to humanity.
Fire holds an important place in human life – (Image: THOUGHTCO).
It is somewhat ironic that these gods, or at least the planets named after them, do not actually possess any fire. This is also true for Apollo – the god of light, truth, and the arts in Greek mythology.
While the sun is often referred to as fiery, the nuclear fusion process that provides its heat is something very different from fire.
According to IFL Science, it has taken billions of years of life on Earth to create fire.
If any planet we are searching for has fire, it would be a significant clue that it also has life.
Oxygen – the source of life for both humans and fire
Fire in general requires the presence of oxygen. Although oxygen is the third most abundant element in the universe, it bonds with other elements so readily that it is rarely found in its molecular form capable of producing fire.
Some other gases have been discovered that can ignite specific materials, but these gases are often rare and unlikely to be found outside a chemical laboratory.
Both oxygen and these alternatives are absent in other parts of the Solar System – at the necessary concentrations for combustion.
Indeed, there is no evidence of fire in the fossil record before the mid-Ordovician period. Although oxygen has been present in the atmosphere since the Great Oxidation Event nearly 2 billion years ago, its concentration has been too low to sustain fire.
If all life on Earth were to suddenly vanish, the oxygen in Earth’s atmosphere would gradually react with rocks until it completely disappeared.
Moreover, fire also requires fuel and heat. There is a pattern to what we burn: wood from trees, coal from ancient forests, and oil from once-simple organisms. Most substances capable of rapid oxidation that produce flames are also products of life.
Some phenomena may appear to resemble fire, tricking our perception. For instance, volcanic eruptions can create “fire fountains.” However, these fire fountains are not actual fire; rather, they are magma spewing through vents.
