Born from NASA technology and perfected for sleep.
Relationships
7 min read
Health & Wellbeing
Encyclopaedia
From roaring infernos to comforting fireplaces, dreams of fire are deeply personal and can reflect very intimate emotions and situations in our lives. Let's explore the meanings behind these dreams and uncover what your mind is trying to tell you.
8 Min Read
Last Modified 3 April 2025 First Added 8 March 2022
We often associate dreams about fire with negative connotations. Many of us see fire as destructive and scary, as it usually comes with the risk of being burnt or losing possessions.
However, fire can have positive connotations. In a dream, you may find yourself unafraid of the flames, perhaps even inviting the blaze towards you. The fire, in this case, may represent a source of energy, fueling your motivation and embracing your excitement.
Dreams about fire often symbolise deep emotions, ranging from fear and anxiety to passion and transformation. Spiritually, fire represents purification, enlightenment, destruction, and rage. The meaning of fire in dreams depends on the context—whether it’s a warning of danger, a sign of renewal, or an expression of inner desire.
When we consider fire, anger often springs to mind – think ‘burning with rage’ or ‘raging inferno’. The concept also fuels many powerful metaphors. For example, it’s perfect for describing when things feel out of control or overly busy, such as ‘I’ve been putting out fires all day’.
Fire is also ideal for talking about transformation – ‘phoenix rising from the ashes’, and even passion – ‘burning desire’ and ‘set my heart on fire’. The list goes on and on. In fact, you could even say its use in English for expressing thoughts, emotions and ideas has spread like wildfire!
Context is critical when assessing the meaning of dreams about fire. So, let’s delve into the different variations of fire dreams and what they could mean.
Dreaming about your house being on fire may mean you’re feeling overwhelmed and stressed in your day-to-day life, or it could even be a sign of burnout (no pun intended).
Indeed, Freud suggested that a house represents your sense of self and spirituality. Dreaming of a fire in your home may indicate worry and anxiety, possibly pointing to a lack of inner peace.
This dream may also help to highlight insecurities, similar to worries about thieves breaking into your house. In this case, however, your house symbolises something stable, homely and warm in your life, with the fire representing a solemn threat.
If you dream about being on fire, it might surprise you to know this can have multiple positive and negative meanings. Dreaming of being on fire means you feel preoccupied with something. Indeed, we often use the phrase ‘consumed by flames’, which could be relevant to something you’re afflicted about.
Alternatively, it can also represent transformation – that you’re shedding a burden ready for regrowth. In this sense, it’s a sign of rejuvenation – where fire can cleanse, purify and lead to better things once the flames are extinguished.
Fleeing a fire can be a terrifying experience, so these dreams are usually a negative experience. They often represent feeling overwhelmed by a situation, particularly one you did not cause or feel trapped in. This can be to do with someone who has destructive energy, a bad work environment, or if you don’t feel safe in some aspect of your life.
If you are frequently trying to run from fire in your dreams, it can strongly indicate that it’s time for a significant change or to remove yourself from something that doesn’t feel right.
Dreaming about being near a fire can be a positive sign. Indeed, whilst fire is often seen as a destructive force, it is also a signal of warmth and light that keeps you safe, especially in the dark or cold.
Furthermore, a dream about being around fire may symbolise a nostalgic yearning for a past period in your life. Equally, it could symbolise contentedness and peace in your life after a period of uncertainty. In this case, the fire represents overcoming anxiety (the dark) into a period of calmness (the light).
Dreaming of someone being on fire may symbolise an intense anger towards them. If the dream is about an object or building being on fire, it can also represent resentment for that ‘thing’ or what that ‘thing’ may mean.
In a more positive light, it may express a burning desire for something or someone. If it is a person, it could be a lover, or if it is a thing, it may represent a broader life ambition. Overall, if something is on fire, it means a preoccupation with that thing or person. Perhaps you cannot control your emotions, whether good or bad and need an outlet for the frustration in your waking hours.
With fire comes smoke. Typically, dreaming about smoke means feeling lost or uncertain about something, making it impossible to see around you. Maybe you are hesitant or feel like someone is keeping information from you – especially if you are trying to find your way through the smoke but meeting obstacles.
While black smoke is most commonly associated with fire and is usually a warning sign, white smoke is often used in purification rituals and can mean that good fortune is coming.
Seeing a car on fire in your dream can be unsettling, but its meaning often relates to your personal journey. A burning car might symbolise stress, frustration, or a sense of being out of control in your waking life. It could relate to feeling stuck in a situation or struggling with a path you have chosen.
If the fire is consuming the car completely, it may be a sign that a significant change is on the horizon—perhaps a shift in career, relationships, or personal ambitions.
A forest fire in your dream can represent feelings of being overwhelmed, especially in relation to aspects of your life that seem to be spiralling out of control. This could be linked to work, relationships, or emotional challenges that feel all-consuming.
On the flip side, a forest fire can also symbolise renewal—while destruction may be occurring, it is often a precursor to regrowth and transformation. Consider whether the fire in your dream feels like devastation or an opportunity for a fresh start.
Unlike the intense orange and red flames we commonly associate with fire, blue fire in dreams can symbolise spiritual awakening, enlightenment, or creative inspiration. It may indicate a period of deep personal growth, where you are exploring new ideas or gaining clarity on a situation.
If the fire is calm and steady, it could suggest inner wisdom and self-awareness. However, if the blue flames feel intense or overwhelming, it may reflect an emotional or intellectual breakthrough that you are struggling to process.
To understand what your dream about fire could signify, you must consider the personal connotations and context of what happened. For example, how did you feel during the dream? Was it a positive or negative dream?
If negative, confronting these thoughts head-on could help improve your life. If the dream represents anxiousness or overwhelming feelings, it could be helpful to break down the exact causes of these stresses, as this may lead you to find solutions. Explore our relaxation techniques to try before bed for more restful sleep.
Even if dreams evoke positive emotions, they can still feel overwhelming. Check out our post to understand more about vivid dreams and what you can do about them, especially if they make you tired.
Dreams of fire feature commonly in popular culture. In particular, they play a massive role in the storytelling of several epic fantasy series. For example, in Game of Thrones, the character Jojen is captured by a group of Night’s Watch traitors but brushes off their threats to kill him due to his previous vision of his hand on fire.
In the similarly epic fantasy Lord of the Rings, Frodo frequently dreams of red hot flames. By the time the young hobbit reaches Mordor, his sleep is “full of dreams of fire”, and even after the ring of power that gives the trilogy its name is destroyed, it continues to haunt him in his dreams.
Explore more dream meanings with our Dream Encyclopaedia and find out the hidden messages behind common dreams like being chased or dreaming about being bitten by a snake.
8 min read
5 min read