Why Fire Is So Comforting

The discovery of fire changed the way men and women lived their lives forever. Prior to this discovery, food was consumed raw and ancestors were at the mercy of the elements. Many died from exposure before fire was discovered.

After this major discovery, there were many changes in people's lifestyles. Food preparation was changed to include cooking, which gave the ability to experiment with different methods of seasoning. Diets improved and people learned that they could stay warm, even in subfreezing temperatures by staying close to a fire.

As civilization progressed and men moved out of caves, fire was taken along because of its benefits. When men began to build their homes, they included a fire pit in the center of the structure around which the family could gather for meals and warmth. Even nomadic cultures kept this practice in their tents, allowing for openings in the tops to permit smoke to escape.

Later, the hearth was moved to one side of the home to make additional room inside for furnishings and people. However, the presence of fire remained to make this a central gathering place for relaxation and conversation during cold weather. This construction required a flue and chimney to allow smoke to escape.

New fuels were soon discovered. Coal began to be burned in homes and businesses for heat because it burned hotter and lasted longer than wood. Later, fuel oil was found to be effective in certain types of stoves. Then, crude oil and natural gas were discovered.

These fuels had many advantages over wood, and coal. It was found that crude oil could be refined into several different products, among them propane, also called LP for liquid petroleum. This fuel soon replaced wood for cooking because it burned cleaner and was readily available. People even learned to design furnaces and stoves for heating that burned this fuel.

Today, many people prefer to use LP gas fireplace logs to obtain the sense of tradition that comes from having a hearth around which to gather while allowing them to burn a cleaner fuel that does not smoke or leave ash to be cleaned up later. These "logs" are ingeniously designed to look exactly like a wood fire burning. This provides added comfort because primal instincts recall how comforting fire came to be when it was first discovered and changed the way men lived forever so many years ago.