The Significance of Fire

The Significance of Fire

by Danielle Karthauser

It is no accident that in a game called Firewatch, fire is used as a way to symbolize the arc of the main character, Henry.

Despite the lack of fire affecting Henry directly, the indirect effects are what mirror his mindset in the narrative and ultimately bring him to his conclusion to either return to his wife or hide in the wilderness for the rest of his life.

In the alchemical tradition, the element of fire represents transformation. Fire touches something and leaves it completely changed or unrecognizable. Forest fires are often “from a scientific and ecological point of view... positive as...old growth that is burned away makes way for new growth to begin, and the entire ecosystem is rejuvenated.” 20 As a literary device, fire can symbolize rebirth or purification.

Outside examples of fire being used as a symbol include The Lion King, when during the final battle fire sweeps the area surrounding Pride Rock and burning everything away so that the circle of life can start new again. In the A Song of Ice and Fire books by George R.R. Martin, Daenerys Targaryen literally walks into the fire and returns with an entirely different appearance (her hair is burned away so that she is bald) and is now the Mother of Dragons. Another example is Prince Zuko from Avatar: The Last Airbender, who is literally a fire bender and spends the entire run of the show transforming into a new person. A literal example of the rebirth theme is with the Phoenix, a mythical creature who burns at old age and is literally reborn from its own ashes, only for the cycle to circle back once again.

In Firewatch, the entirety of Henry’s job is to watch for fires. This is his responsibility. However, it has already been proven in the prologue that Henry is avoiding responsibility and it makes sense that the game ends with a fire destroying the forest around him. He is not doing his job, whether it be his literal job or the job to care for his wife, and so the fire gets out of control.

The fire is symbol for what happens when we ignore what is difficult. No matter how controlled the burn or how in control we feel, things will get out of hand if we don’t take care of it. Henry begins his time in the Shoshone wilderness in peace and nothing bothers him. But as the summer continues, things get out of hand. Smoke becomes more prominent every day, making it harder to see and navigate the space. Not only do Henry and Delilah make some poor choices as fire lookouts which brings about the forest fire, but Henry has made his own poor decisions resulting in his own life catching fire.

At the end of the game, Henry tries to escape the Shoshone as the fire engulfs the trees and wildlife around him. This is a direct metaphor of Henry’s own personal state of mind. Not only is the world around him up in flames and smoke, but so is his own life, both based on the choices he has made or that Delilah and Ned have made. Henry can’t run away from what is hard because it will only grow and grow until everything is on burning and out of control.

The fire surrounding Henry symbolizes rebirth and his ability to transform from this experience. He can change. His mistakes are burned away and he can start new. The story is building toward this moment of transformation and for Henry to take responsibility. Only when his world is burning around him can Henry truly change and rise from the ashes as a new man.

Photo credit: FangedMink5