Fire is an important motif, symbolizing different things throughout Paradise on Fire. Initially, fire represents trauma and loss for Addy because it killed her parents. To try to control the uncontrollable, Addy makes mazes and maps. Her ongoing trauma around fire implies that she has not moved past her parents’ deaths. When she thinks about why she makes maps and plots her exit, it goes back to fire: “Escape. Flee. From what? My mind answers, ‘Fire’” (64). 

As the novel continues, fire’s role becomes more complex. It destroys and is extremely powerful, but it also allows renewal and regrowth. Leo takes Addy to an area in the forest that has been burned by wildfire, and she sees the regrowth that comes from the destruction. While human-made drought and careless campfires can cause severe damage, some fire is natural and good for the environment because it improves the ecosystem. When Addy and the others are caught in a wildfire, her initial response is terror. However, this test allows her to take on her greatest fear and confront fire in a physical way, illustrating her talents for Survival and Resilience despite extremely poor odds.

By the end of the novel, fire symbolizes the empowerment and regrowth that Addy herself has gone through, reflecting her

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