Share conversation around a fire (09/29/2008)

Fire. The manifestation of combustion as light, flame and heat. Flame, the glowing gaseous part of fire.

Fire. Beautiful. Life-giving. Destructive. Untouchable. Magnetic.

We were at a cookout last week. We had been well fed and I just realized that I had forgotten, once again, to ask for Marilyn's noodle recipe. The sun had set and the conversation was dying down. We sat in companionable silence, all eyes on the dancing flames in the center of our circle. Someone mentioned marshmallows, but nobody moved.

I have found it almost impossible to look away from a fire. It draws the heart as well as the eyes. Wherever there is fire, people are sure to gather.

When part of the factory across the street from our house was ablaze several years ago, there were people everywhere. I didn't realize so many lived within walking distance of our house. They filled up our yard and the sidewalks and trampled our defenseless flowers in an effort to see the extent of the fire and the destruction it wrought.

When the fire was gone, so were they.

What we tend to forget is that fire is a natural and necessary part of our world. Most forests wouldn't be the same without fire. The Jack Pine, Pinus banksiana, needs the heat of a fire to enable its cones to open so it can reproduce. Trembling aspen, Populus tremuloides, develops oodles of suckers after a fire. These, and many other plants, have adapted to fire and use it to their advantage.

Do you remember the fires in Yellowstone a few years ago? After the devastation, wildflowers carpeted the landscape. Fire made it possible for the light to reach the forest floor so the flowers could bloom.

A good fire leaves some trees alone and burns others. It allows the forest to renew itself. The problem comes when we move into that forest and build our houses there. Then we have to do everything we can to make sure that fire knows this property is ours and to leave it alone. I'm glad I don't live in an area subject to forest fires as fire seldom respects our boundaries.

Last weekend we weren't thinking about forest fires or tree reproduction. We were simply enjoying the flickering flames and idle conversation.

It seems that sitting around a fire is gaining in popularity. There are ads for fire pits of every shape and size. Our friends had a very economical fire pit. It was made from a recycled wheel atop some cinder blocks (I think).

You can build your own fire pit with the help of a few rocks and a shovel or you can go all out and construct an elaborate gas-fueled outdoor fireplace that costs thousands of dollars. It really doesn't matter; as long as it is constructed in such a manner as to safely contain the fire while providing plenty of viewing opportunity.

Personally, as much as fire enthralls me, it also scares me. I remember when my mother was cooking oatmeal on a gas stove at home and her pajama sleeve caught fire. She put the fire out quickly and it didn't hurt her but I still remember how much it frightened me.

Years later, I had an apartment that came with a gas stove. Whenever I lit the oven there was a giant WHOOSH before it would take off. It is only by the grace of God that the thing never exploded.

As beautiful as fire can be, it has the capability for great destruction. Therefore, I will let others tend the flames in their own backyards. It may mesmerize me but I am well aware of its potential. I don't think I'll be purchasing a fire pit any time soon, but it sure was nice sitting around that fire last week.[[In-content Ad]]