Why is fire special?

Fire is a transformational force that is rivaled only by an immense flood of water. It simultaneously destroys and creates the thing that it burns. Fire will destroy the object of which it was intended to light or keep warm. It is also a tool that has been extraordinarily useful to human development. By cooking food, our brains grew, and our stomachs shrank. Fire has been an integral tool for human flourishing and is a lynchpin for society at large.