9 Different Types Of Fire Dreams & What They Could Mean, From An Expert

Dreams can offer us an intimate peek into our subconscious—when we know how to interpret them.

So, what does it say about you if you're dreaming about things going up in flames? According to professional dream analyst Lauri Loewenberg, fiery dreams have actually been on the rise since the pandemic started. Here's how to interpret your fire dreams based on the specifics, plus how to extinguish them and start snoozing on something else.

Generally speaking, Loewenberg says the most common meaning behind fire in a dream is anger and rage, or at least that's what she's seen the most in her work with clients.

It can also indicate a sense of urgency. "We'll use the expression 'I have to put a few fires out' when we have things that need to be tended to, so it represents something in your life that needs to be taken care of and extinguished ASAP," she explains.

Sometimes, she adds, fire can also represent a passion for something or someone. "If anger and destruction don't fit, look at passion—are you holding a flame for someone?"

Finally, fire can be considered a symbol of transformation. Think of the phoenix being reborn from the ashes. If it isn't anger or passion that's getting to you, consider any areas of your life where you might be experiencing a transformation.

These are the general themes of fire, but remember that every dream is different. For a more nuanced interpretation of a dream, you need to pay attention to the details. "Where the fire takes place is a big clue about the message your dream is giving you," Loewenberg notes, so try to remember that first.

Here, Loewenberg walks through a few more specific examples of what your particular fire dream could be telling you.

Being on fire in a dream can indicate that you feel like something is consuming you. After having this dream, Loewenberg suggests asking yourself, "What sort of thing is angering you to the point that it's all-consuming?"

On the other side of the coin, this could be a really positive dream: "When someone's doing really well, we say 'Oh, they're on fire!'" Loewenberg notes. So if you've been feeling really good about yourself lately, and perhaps the fire in the dream makes you feel powerful, that's another way of looking at it.

And again, fire can represent transformation, and if you're on fire you may be dreaming about shedding or burning away the old version of yourself to make room for the new.

Interestingly, Loewenberg notes that many women going through perimenopause or menopause will dream that they're on fire—which also probably has something to do with hot flashes. It also relates to the idea of transformation and the symbolic loss of their childbearing years.

To dream that your house is on fire typically means you are on the verge of being completely and utterly burnt out, according to Loewenberg.

She sees this dream type more often in women, though it can certainly apply to men, too. "Stress has built up to the point where the house on fire, and when you reach that stage of stress," she says, "you've gotta do something about it and take as much off your plate as possible."

The town or city of your dream, Loewenberg says, is like your personal world. Whatever's happening in the town may symbolize what's going on with you and your life.

So, if your town is on fire in a dream, "You want to look at anything that's angering you first," she says. "Look at work, look at your circle of friends, look at family—anything in your immediate world." Ask yourself where the anger is or if something within your life is being destroyed or broken down.

Another instance of a play on words, dreaming that your workplace is on fire could be related to actual firings that are happening at your job, Loewenberg notes. This dream may show up if you're worried about getting fired yourself or if are there a lot of firings going on lately.

According to Loewenberg, trees in dreams trees tend to represent family, and since forests are made up of trees, "a forest fire may indicate there's some kind of anger or something destructive going on within the family," she says.

In addition to that, a single tree standing alone on fire could indicate some concern about your reproductive life, she adds, again noting the perimenopause and menopause connection.

Now, not all fire dreams are destructive and nightmarish. Dreaming of a fireplace, for example, is one example of a pleasant and comforting fire dream—and it's usually a good sign, too.

Loewenberg says dreaming of a fireplace usually represents warmth or something that feels inviting in your real life. If you've just started a new friendship or relationship and you dream of a fireplace, she says, "That represents your good feelings about it."

We light candles in rituals, ceremonies, when someone dies, and so on. Candles can represent spiritual themes, and when they show up in dreams, Loewenberg explains that "It can represent the soul or the spirit."

So if you're lighting a candle in the dream, she suggests looking at what's going on in your spiritual life. With the idea of transformation in mind, as well, it could indicate some change or transformation to your connection with that part of yourself.

Loewenberg says she's heard instances of people dreaming that they've opened something up, such as a cabinet, pantry, or even the wall, to find there's a raging fire inside. "That's about holding in your anger," she says, "or not speaking up about something that's angering you." This is a pretty clear message, she adds, that it's time to let it out—otherwise, it will only burn you up from the inside.

And lastly, if you're dreaming of a fire-breathing dragon, or anything breathing fire, really, Loewenberg says it usually has to do with you or someone around you who's using very angry words. "The fire breath is the anger someone is spouting," she explains.

If you keep having the same fire dream, or the only one you did have really shook you up and you want to work through it, Loewenberg says one of the best ways to figure it out is to look at how you were responding in the dream when you saw the fire.

For example, if you had a positive reaction to the fire in your dream, it's likely more about passion than it is anger. Or if you thought, "I've got to get this fire out ASAP," you're probably feeling a sense of urgency surrounding something that's stressing you out or angering you. "The emotions and thoughts in the dream are big clues," she adds.

Once you figure out what could be eliciting your fire dreams, you can start taking steps to prevent them. If you're bottling up your anger, for example, that could look like finding a healthy way to express that anger. Whatever you can do to help yourself feel better about the situation in real life will carry over into your dreams.

Fire can show up in our dreams in so many ways, some perfectly harmless—others, not so much. The key is taking the time to really think about what happened in the dream, how you responded, and what could be causing the dream in the first place. From there, you can take any steps necessary should you want to prevent the dream in the future.