Fire
From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Fire is a chemical reaction that gives off light and heat.
Fire is hot. It should never be touched, for it will burn anything that gets too close. But fire can be very useful if it is treated carefully. It has always been very important for people to be able to make fire, because people need its heat on cold days, or its light in darkness, as well as for cooking.
If fire is not treated carefully, it can be very dangerous. A fire that got out of control once destroyed 17,400 km² in the United States. Forests can burn down if fires are not controlled. Every year, large areas of forests are destroyed because of fire, particularly in Europe. This usually happens in summer. Firefighters are people with special training to stop fires, or to keep a fire under control.
Fire needs oxygen and fuel to burn. It also has to be ignited. Oxygen is part of the air and the fuel can be things like wood, tinder, or coal. If fire does not have both fuel and oxygen, it will stop burning. Water is often used to stop burning. Water makes fire not to have oxygen.