Importance of Fire

Legend tells us that Prometheus stole fire from the gods and gave it to man. For this, Zeus punished him by having him bound to a rock while an eagle ate his liver every day only to have it grow back to be eaten again the next day. We accept this today only as a myth because the evidence shows us that the control of fire by man was a learned skill that developed in stages over many thousands of years. Experts now agree that Homo erectus was most likely the first human species to control fire which provided early man many benefits. This was a turning point in human cultural evolution that allowed for humans to proliferate due to the incorporation of cooked proteins and carbohydrates, expansion of human activity into the night hours, and protection from predators. (Price) Every living human is drawn to fire, quite literally like the moth to the flame. In addition to physical warmth, it also warms the soul. We sit around the fire and sing camp song and feel safety within the glow of the light. These feeling are due to a legacy with fire. We need it for our survival, but it is much deeper than that, fire is life. Although food and water are the basis for supporting life, heat, in this case from fire, is required to cook and purify. 


Regardless of your feeling toward the history or mythology of fire, the need for fire should not be in doubt. The control of fire is the premiere skill among survivalist, and the ability to produce fire from nature alone is a right of passage. Fire provides us many benefits as mentioned, and can be produced in several ways. Fire production can be categorized as Friction, Chemical, Electrical, Percussion, Compression, or through the Focusing or Reflection of Light, principally Sunlight.


Examples:
Friction, as in a bow or hand drill.
Chemical, as in the mixing of chemicals like potassium permanganate and glycerin.
Electrical, as in lighting.
Percussion, as in flint with stone.
Compression, as with a fire piston.
Sunlight, as in using a magnifying glass to focus heat.


-Richard