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Hyde Park Picture House is the last cinema in the world to be lit by gas lamps.
theaters

How to Ensure the Last Gas-Lamp Theater in the World Doesn’t Blow Up

Though safe today, antique lights once posed risks of poisoning, suffocation, asbestos, radioactivity, and explosions.
Jenny Elliott September 7, 2023
Firefighters training at Schiphol's FireFly.
Schiphol, Netherlands

FireFly

A solid steel plane designed to catch fire over and over again.
In 2015, this effigy of the Pagan goddess Marzanna met a fiery end.
witchcraft

In Poland, Drowning the Pagan Goddess Marzanna Ushers in Spring

A straw effigy of the winter goddess is burned and then submerged in chilly waters.
Sarah Laskow May 3, 2023
The Martis Peak Lookout.
Kings Beach, California

Martis Peak Lookout

An early 20th-century fire lookout, still in intermittent use, preserves legacy fire-locating equipment.
Bonfires and revelry dominate modern Beltane celebrations, but the origins of the event are more mundane.
astronomy

Beltane Is About More Than Fire and Fertility

The ancient “Celtic” start of summer is rooted in animal husbandry—and it’s not on May 1.
Gemma Tarlach April 28, 2023
St. Louis Park, Minnesota

Lilac Park

Originally built by the Works Progress Administration, this park was recently saved from demolition.
A female orangutan and her three-year-old offspring from Central Kalimantan, Borneo; primatologists found the primates reduced social interaction in the wake of destructive fires.
science

How Orangutans Changed Their Behavior After Devastating Fires

Primatologists found the disaster's effects lingered years after the smoke cleared from Borneo's forests.
Bridget Alex April 5, 2022
The punch is equal parts delicious drink and light show.
holidays

A Brief History of Germany’s Favorite Flaming Punch

How a fiery bowl of booze became a Christmas classic.
Sam O'Brien December 13, 2021
farms

Podcast: Maine’s Burning Blueberry Fields

Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.
The Podcast Team October 19, 2021
museums

Is This the End of Switzerland’s Chimney Sweep 'Mafia'?

The long history and new face of a sooty industry.
Oriana Pauli October 8, 2021
Bolas del Fuego, August 2013.
List

12 Celebrations Where Fire and Fireworks Reign Supreme

The United States isn't the only country that celebrates holidays with a bang.
Jonathan Carey July 2, 2021
W. Joyce Kilmer Fireplace
Saint Paul, Minnesota

Joyce Kilmer Memorial Fireplace

This 85-year-old fireplace in an urban woodland is dedicated to a poet who recognized the beauty of a tree.
Spring inside the temple
Iran

Pir-e-Sabz Fire Temple (Chak Chak)

This remote mountain shrine is one of the most sacred Zoroastrian temples remaining in the world.
An old sati stone visible in Panna National Park in Madhya Pradesh.
medieval

India’s Sati Stones Commemorate a Macabre Historical Practice

Their challenging legacy has complicated preservation and study.
Kamala Thiagarajan November 30, 2020
Yerevan, Armenia

Spider Statue

Destruction from Armenia's 1988 earthquake inspired an artist's sculptures of scrap metal.
Towards the end of the burn, the fire can be spread simply by raking the burning straw.
farms

The Lost Art of Growing Blueberries With Fire

Using all four elements to grow the perfect berry.
Luke Fater July 6, 2020
A touch of fire helped colonial Americans through many winters.
colonial america

Make a Colonial American Cocktail With Ale, Rum, and Fire

The smoky, creamy Hot Ale Flip is a testament to crude ingenuity.
Luke Fater May 13, 2020
Colonial facade of the church.
Itanhaém, Brazil

Convento Nossa Senhora da Conceição (Convent of Our Lady of the Conception)

This convent has a unique history, including being burned down by a friar trying to get rid of a few bats.