Fire (The X-Files)

"Fire" is the twelfth episode of the first season of the American science fiction television series The X-Files, premiering on the Fox network on December 17, 1993. It was written by series creator Chris Carter, directed by Larry Shaw and featured guest appearances by Mark Sheppard and Amanda Pays. The episode is a "Monster-of-the-Week" story, unconnected to the series' wider mythology. "Fire" earned a Nielsen household rating of 6.8, being watched by 6.4 million households in its initial broadcast; and received mostly positive reviews from critics.

The show centers on FBI agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) who work on cases linked to the paranormal, called X-Files. In this episode, Mulder and Scully are visited by a Metropolitan Police detective who studied at Oxford University with Mulder; and who enlists their aid with a case involving a serial killer capable of pyrokinesis.

Due to its nature, the episode featured many dangerous stunts utilizing fire. In the scene where Mulder and the antagonist, Cecil L'Ively, confront each other at either end of a corridor, and L'Ively sets fire to the entire hallway, guest star Sheppard ducked out of the shot in order to protect himself from the intense heat. The only injury involved in the production was when Duchovny burned his hand, leaving a small permanent scar. The character of Phoebe Green, played by Pays, was considered as a recurring role, but this episode ended up being her only appearance.