An
ember is a glowing, hot coal made of greatly heated
wood,
coal, or other
carbon-based material that remain after, or sometimes precede, a
fire. Embers can glow very hot, sometimes as hot as the fire which created them. They radiate a substantial amount of heat long after the fire has been extinguished, and if not taken care of properly can rekindle a fire that is thought to be completely extinguished and can pose a fire hazard. In order to avoid the danger of accidentally spreading a fire, many campers pour water on the embers or cover them in dirt. In comparison, embers can also be used to relight a fire after it has gone out without the need to rebuild the fire - In a conventional
fireplace, a fire can easily be relit up to 12 hours after it goes out, provided that there is enough space for air to circulate between the embers and the introduced fuel.