A flurry of sparks from a crackling hearth fire. The small, flickering flame on a single candle. The blaze of a raging wildfire.

Whether we call fire “good” or “bad” depends on how—and how much—it touches us.

Up until several hundred years ago, people thought the world was made up of four elements: earth, air, water and fire. People needed the earth to grow food; they needed air to breathe; they needed water to drink. Only fire was not absolutely necessary for human survival.

But try to imagine a life—at least a comfortable life—without it!

The first person to start a fire probably burned his fingers, but the payoff was worth it. Without fire, we’d be eating raw meat for lunch. We wouldn’t have any candles on our birthday cakes. We couldn’t drive or watch TV.

Fire brings light and warmth and power, but it also brings death. A gust of wind can turn a friendly blaze into a catastrophe—taking lives, destroying homes, and leveling acres of forest. People and the Earth don’t always want fire in the same places, or at the same time. We know we need fire, but Man and Mother Nature are still battling over who’s in charge.