Elemental Fire was the combination of the qualities of "dry" and "hot," and possessed "lightness," which moved it upwards. It was situated above air in the cosmos, ending at the sphere of the Moon. Fire is so primordial and important, its discovery or invention has become a classic mark of humans' transition to a technological society. Fire is depicted here as a woman wearing a blindfold and a red flowing garment. The figure holds two flaming torches - one pointing up and one pointing down - signifying the duality of fire to create and destroy as well as to heal or to harm. Plato and Aristotle put this element highest, above the other three and just below the perfect, celestial spheres. Except for the stars and planets, all other lights in the sky such as comets, meteors, lightning, and even rainbows were thought to be elemental fire. Early electrical experimenters, scientists working on heat and light, and chemists exploring gunpowder all thought they were working with various forms of this element. In the mythical story of Prometheus, fire symbolizes knowledge. In the legend of the Phoenix — where the fire-bird dies and is reborn anew out of the ashes — fire represents rebirth and new beginnings. Today, evidence of the dual nature of fire as both creator and destroyer still exists. Fire is a fundamental tool in the burning of fossil fuels for warmth, cooking of food, and transportation, but it also poses a threat to life and property as exemplified by wildfires, house, and electrical fires.