<p>Thats the later style, originally, fire was used simply as nature's heart beat (figuratively).
</p><p>After the episode with the Sun firebending civilization, they tell us that the true nature of fire is actuall life. Hatred and anger are what make it dangerous. Otherwise, fire, when "in the right hands" can be fairly easy to control.
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</p><p>Or even in the wrong hands, fire only burns if one lets it. The only time (in all of avatar iirc) where fire is used carelessly is when Aang decided to have fun with it >__> (He was an idiot)
</p><p>Every other fire bender had no problem keeping it in check, only burning loved ones if they chose to.
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</p><p>Sorry, I just typed alot of stupidness that popped into my head >__<
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