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A large bonfire
The word fire is used to refer to the combination of the brilliant glow and large amount of heat released during a rapid, self-sustaining exothermic oxidation process of combustible gases ejected from a fuel. It starts by subjecting the fuel to heat or another energy source, e.g. a match or lighter, and is sustained by the further release of heat energy.
The word fire by itself is used more often to refer to uncontrolled fires than to refer to controlled fires.
Controlling fire for the purposes of providing heat and light was one of humankind's first great achievements. It made possible migration to colder climates which otherwise would have remained out of reach for colonization. It also allowed for cooking food and using flame and heat to process materials. Archeology indicates that ancestors of modern humans such as Homo erectus seem to have been using controlled fire as early as some 790,000 years ago. The Cradle of HumankindThe Cradle of Humankind is a World Heritage Site first named by Unesco in 2000, a half-hour-long drive northwest from Johannesburg, South Africa 20 miles (30 km) distant. This site currently occupies 183 square miles (474 kmē); it contains a complex of li site has evidence for controlled fire 1 million years ago.
Fires and burning have often been used in religiousReligion sometimes used interchangeably with faith, is commonly defined as belief concerning the supernatural, sacred, or divine, and the practices and institutions associated with such belief. Borobudur, a Buddhist stupa built between 750 and 850 Adriaen sacrifices, as the smokeFor the movie starring Harvey Keitel, see Smoke (movie); for the cigar aficionado magazine, see Smoke (magazine) Smoke is a suspension in air of small particles resulting from incomplete combustion of a fuel. It is commonly an unwanted by-product of fires of the fire disperses into the heavens. Fire is one of the four classical elementSeveral ancient classical element ideas exist. The Greek version of these ideas persisted throughout the Middle Ages and into the Renaissance, deeply influencing European thought and culture. Classical elements in Greece The Greek classical elements are fs, as well as one of the five Chinese elements. In HinduismThis article is about the Hindu religion; for other meanings of the word, see Hindu (disambiguation). Aum, the most sacred syllable and quintessential symbol of Hinduism, represents the first manifestation of the unmanifest Brahman. Hinduism Santana Dharm fire is one of five sacred elements of which all living creatures are comprised and is considered an eternal witness essential to sacred religious ceremonies. In ChristianityChristian cross and its many variations are widely recognized as an ancient Christian symbol. Christianity is an Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as described in the New Testament. Although Christians generally chara, fire is a symbol of the Holy Spirit, and is also often used in descriptions of Hell.