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Very Short Introductions #640
Fire: A Very Short Introduction
Fire is rarely out of the headlines, from large natural wildfires raging across the Australian or Californian countrysides to the burning of buildings such as the disasters of Grenfell tower and Notre Dame. Fire on these scales can represent a serious risk to human life and property. But the advent of fire made and controlled by humans also represented a crucial point in our evolution, allowing us to cook our food, forge our weapons, and warm our homes.
This Very Short Introduction covers the fundamentals of fire, whether wild or under human control, starting with the basics of ignition, combustion, and fuel. Andrew Scott considers both natural wildfires and the role of humans in making and suppressing fire. Despite frightening reports of wildfire destruction, he also shows how landscape fires have been part of our planet's history for 400 million years, and do not always have to be extinguished. He also considers the problem of fires in urban settings, including new ways to prevent fires. The cost of wildfire can be steep - as well as the burning, post-fire erosion and flooding can have a great impact on both humans and the environment. It can also have a lasting effect in shaping ecosystems and plant life. Scott ends by examining the relationship between fire and the climate, and considering the future of wildfire in a warming world.
ABOUT THE SERIES:
The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.
This Very Short Introduction covers the fundamentals of fire, whether wild or under human control, starting with the basics of ignition, combustion, and fuel. Andrew Scott considers both natural wildfires and the role of humans in making and suppressing fire. Despite frightening reports of wildfire destruction, he also shows how landscape fires have been part of our planet's history for 400 million years, and do not always have to be extinguished. He also considers the problem of fires in urban settings, including new ways to prevent fires. The cost of wildfire can be steep - as well as the burning, post-fire erosion and flooding can have a great impact on both humans and the environment. It can also have a lasting effect in shaping ecosystems and plant life. Scott ends by examining the relationship between fire and the climate, and considering the future of wildfire in a warming world.
ABOUT THE SERIES:
The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.
151 pages, Paperback
Published September 1, 2020
5 people are currently reading
172 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
July 16, 2025
As with all of the A Very Short Introduction series, this takes a single topic and lets gives the reader insights and overall history of the subject. This one - about the "combustion of flammable materials" - ranges from the wildfires that devastate acres of land, destroying forest and it's inhabitants as well as human residences to the controlled campfires over which we toast marshmallows or hotdogs.
Fire - which was one of the first discoveries of humans - used for cooking, warmth and scare away predators. The aspects of ignition, combustion and what can serve as fuel - from the massive trees to dried grasses. And if it burns hot enough, fresh material still damp and full of moisture can still burn.
The final chapter deal with how fire in urban settings and how humans are attempting to discover new ways to combat this veracious eater of everything in it's path. Which considering climate change, the prospect of wildfires no longer limited to the summer months, has become more of a threat.
2025-045
Fire - which was one of the first discoveries of humans - used for cooking, warmth and scare away predators. The aspects of ignition, combustion and what can serve as fuel - from the massive trees to dried grasses. And if it burns hot enough, fresh material still damp and full of moisture can still burn.
The final chapter deal with how fire in urban settings and how humans are attempting to discover new ways to combat this veracious eater of everything in it's path. Which considering climate change, the prospect of wildfires no longer limited to the summer months, has become more of a threat.
2025-045
Read
August 28, 2021This took me a long time to read but I'm glad I did!
It's a pretty academic text but as simple as possible within that framework.
I have never been particularly great at science so I struggled reading this but I learned a lot! I was happy to see a robust Works Cited/Recommended Books list at the back and will certainly have to check out some of those next.
A few things I've learned now:
Just because a fire has occurred one year doesn't mean an equally bad fire couldn't happen the next. There is no "Get Out of Jail Free" card. What a bummer!
Things I knew but were confirmed for me reading this book:
The reasons for fire and how to fight them is complex. Controlled burns are healthy & necessary but this isn't true for all biomes. The type of land and the weather need to be considered.
Humans keep building in fire prone areas which never leads to anything good (fire-wise that is). What can we do to build enough homes without making them (and more importantly the humans who live within them) vulnerable to fire?
Global warming is occurring and it's making a difference in how many fires are breaking out and how big they are getting
Fire can be good for some creatures but, obviously, not that great for others
It's a pretty academic text but as simple as possible within that framework.
I have never been particularly great at science so I struggled reading this but I learned a lot! I was happy to see a robust Works Cited/Recommended Books list at the back and will certainly have to check out some of those next.
A few things I've learned now:
Just because a fire has occurred one year doesn't mean an equally bad fire couldn't happen the next. There is no "Get Out of Jail Free" card. What a bummer!
Things I knew but were confirmed for me reading this book:
The reasons for fire and how to fight them is complex. Controlled burns are healthy & necessary but this isn't true for all biomes. The type of land and the weather need to be considered.
Humans keep building in fire prone areas which never leads to anything good (fire-wise that is). What can we do to build enough homes without making them (and more importantly the humans who live within them) vulnerable to fire?
Global warming is occurring and it's making a difference in how many fires are breaking out and how big they are getting
Fire can be good for some creatures but, obviously, not that great for others
May 10, 2023
This is probably easier to read in snippets as it comes off as reading a textbook at times (which is essentially what this is). It contains some interesting information and more so a challenge to the reader to change their outlook into how fire affects our environment and our lives.
June 29, 2020
A good overview of the science behind both wildland and urban fires.
February 20, 2021
not my thing
April 23, 2021
Was a little repetitive, but was an interesting read. Covers a lot of disciplines, so it's easy to get lost in parts.
June 16, 2022
Quite short
March 7, 2023
Rather tedious.
December 9, 2024
wish it focused more on interior fires and less on wildfires given the applicability to my life but this was so great and so understandable
January 11, 2025
A very dense overview of fire. Best read in small chunks.
Read
May 14, 2025Could’ve been shorter
July 21, 2020
I can't really make up my mind between 3 and 4 stars. This is a pretty good book, combining interesting aspects of the history of fire, pyrogeography etc with a lot of practical knowledge. I don't agree with the focus on wildfires, though, and the book actually got a bit repetitive there, which I don't expect to see in a very short introduction.
Anyway, some things that I thought were great:
- influence of fire on some biomes (savannahs actually need occasional fire)
- how some animals and plants have been adjusting to fire
- how some animals actually exploit fire (birds of prey picking up burning twigs and dropping them somewhere else to start a fire for easier access to prey)
Anyway, some things that I thought were great:
- influence of fire on some biomes (savannahs actually need occasional fire)
- how some animals and plants have been adjusting to fire
- how some animals actually exploit fire (birds of prey picking up burning twigs and dropping them somewhere else to start a fire for easier access to prey)
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews