FIRE
We are uniquely fire creatures on a uniquely
fire planet. Other planetary bodies in the
solar system have elements of combustion
— Jupiter has the ignition source in light-
ning; Mars, traces of free oxygen; Titan,
a methane-based fuel. Only Earth, how-
ever, has all the essential elements and
the means by which to combine them —
only Earth has life. Marine life pumped the
atmosphere with oxygen, and terrestrial
life stocked the continents with carbon
fuels. Fire and life have fused biotically
ever since ...
Stephen J. Pyne
World Fire: The Culture of Fire on Earth,
1995
Sarasota News Leader April 25, 2014 Page 87
