History Main / FirePurifies

* Used symbolically in the first ''VideoGame/GabrielKnight'' during a dream. To test Gabriel's right to bear the title of ''[[TheHunter Schattenjäger]]'', a massive dragon asks him how much sin he has to burn, then lays down a massive surge of flame that incinerates Gabriel.

* Used classically straight in ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' when dealing with green slime. Fire is one of the few things that will kill it, and burning it off while it's still busily trying to turn your comrade's flesh into ''more'' green slime is about the only way to save them if you don't have just the right healing spell handy at the moment.
** This, in a nutshell, is the Circle of Wildfire Druid's shtick in 5th edition. Along with a suite of fire spells like ''Burning Hands'', ''Scorching Ray'', and ''Flame Strike'', the subclass gets bonus spells that are themed around healing and growth (''Cure Wounds'', ''Revivify'', ''Plant Growth'') and the ability to conjure a Wildfire Spirit that can either [[HealItWithFire heal allies]] or [[KillItWithFire harm foes.]] The flavor text emphasizes that wildfires are a healthy part of the natural order, scouring the land clean to make way for new growth.
** This is the flavor behind various fire-dealing Divine spells in TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragonsFourthEdition, which in turn grew out of the Cleric's unique offensive spell "Flame Strike", which has been around since the beginning of [=D&D=].

** It's also effective when dealing with Orks for more practical reasons; they're fungus based lifeforms which release spores (which eventually grow into new orks). Burning them helps prevent them reinfecting planets they've attacked.

* ''VideoGame/{{Warframe}}''

* In ''VideoGame/{{Warframe}}'', Nezha's Fire Walker ability leaves a trail of fire along the ground as he moves. In addition to setting enemies alight, contact with the flames cures allies of status ailments.

* The Emperor's powers themselves typically manifested as ethereal fire, potent enough to [[DeaderThanDead permanently kill]] Chaos daemons while also cleansing Chaos corruption, something almost no other psychic in the setting was or is able to do.

* In Literature/ChroniclesOfTheKencyrath fire is one of the few reliable ways to kill corrupted beings like Haunts and Changers, and usually the most practical. Also, until the body of a Kendar or Highborn is burned, their spirit is bound to the world.

* In the ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' novel ''Literature/CarpeJugulum'', the flames of the Phoenix only burn evil creatures. Granny uses it to keep the darkness of the vampires at bay.

* Invoked by name by Firesong in the last ''[[Literature/HeraldsOfValdemar Mage Winds]]'' novel, as he finally destroys Ma'ar's soul by incinerating its refuge in the Void.
* {{Subverted|Trope}} in ''[[Literature/EverythingsEventual The Road Virus Heads North]]'', a short story by Creator/StephenKing. A horror writer buys the last surviving painting of a troubled artist who burned all his other works and then committed suicide. When he realises the painting is cursed he tries to get rid of it, but the painting keeps returning intact. Eventually he burns the picture, because [[GenreSavvy that's what works in the books, right?]] Unfortunately it turns out that the artist didn't burn all his paintings ''except'' this one, he burned all his paintings ''including'' this one.

* The supernatural elements of ''LightNovel/ShakuganNoShana'' are heavily fire-themed, which extends to its [[HunterOfMonsters Hunters of Monsters]] being referred to as "Flame Hazes" and generally having at least some ability to [[PlayingWithFire manipulate fire as an attack]]. Back when she [[WalkingTheEarth lived on the road]] Shana followed a more utilitarian version of this, using her flames to burn away dirt and disease as a substitute for bathing.

* In the ''Literature/YoungWizards'' series the spiritual entity which empowers the [[PublicDomainArtifact Spear of Light]], the Virtue of Purification, is associated with the element of fire. It can burn away the impurities and imperfections of any living being, but the process of doing so is lethal. The Spear does not ''care'' that purifying things destroys them (as one character says, patience is ''not'' one of its virtues), so it's a good thing that the Spear can't throw itself.