Fire (RS)

"Fireheart followed the trail of the other cats blindly, hardly aware of the forest around him, even though he turned back every few moments to check that Bramblekit was still keeping up. His last sight of the ravine filled his mind, a terrifying trough of flame and smoke that engulfed the camp, his home. And of Yellowfang and Halftail, there had been no sign at all."

— Fireheart as he and Bramblekit flee their camp in Rising Storm, page 255

ThunderClan's fire
General information
Book	Rising Storm, Tigerclaw's Fury, Leopardstar's Honor
Timeframe	Greenleaf
Place	The forest territories
Outcome	ThunderClan's camp is destroyed by the fire and RiverClan offers them temporary shelter Bluestar turns against StarClan
Participants
Key characters	Fireheart, Yellowfang, Bramblekit
Affiliations involved	ThunderClan RiverClan
Chronology
Preceded by:	Tyranny of Brokenstar
Concurrent:	ShadowClan's Great Sickness
Followed by:	Plan to divert the dogs

ThunderClan's fire was a fire that took place mainly in Rising Storm, and was also featured in Tigerclaw's Fury and Leopardstar's Honor, that destroyed ThunderClan's camp.

Summary

Premise

"Spottedleaf told me that fire would save the Clan. But it has destroyed us."

―Bluestar ^{Rising Storm, page 286}

Moons ago, Bluestar and Spottedleaf received a prophecy that fire would save the Clan. A kittypet named Rusty joins ThunderClan as an apprentice as Firepaw, and Bluestar believes he might be the one attributed to the prophecy. Following Tigerclaw's betrayal and exile, Bluestar is shocked and hurt. She names Fireheart the new deputy after moonhigh, breaking the warrior code. Bluestar grows meek and remains secluded in her den, resulting in Fireheart burdened with guiding the Clan in her absence. As a drought sets in, some cats believe it is from StarClan's anger due to Fireheart's promotion breaking the warrior code.

Overview

«Fireheart was amazed that he could recognize anything. The forest was changed beyond belief, the undergrowth burned away, the air empty of scent or sound of prey. The ground felt sticky underpaw where rain and ash had mingled to make black, acrid-smelling mud that clung to their fur. Fireheart shivered as raindrops splashed onto his wet pelt. The sound of a single, brave bird singing in the distance made his heart ache for everything that had been lost.»

—Fireheart about the fire ^{Rising Storm, page 278}

The fire destroyed ThunderClan's camp.

Fireheart notices fire in the forest and calls for an evacuation in the middle of the night. The fire spreads quickly due to drought and the dry undergrowth. As the Clan evacuates from the ravine, he and Yellowfang return to find Patchpelt, Halftail, and Bramblekit who had gone missing. While the rest of the Clan rushes to the river, Fireheart and Yellowfang attempt to drag the elders out of the camp. Fireheart stops to rescue Bramblekit stuck in a burning tree, which falls into camp and traps Yellowfang and Halftail. Fireheart and Bramblekit reunite with the Clan at Sunningrocks, though Patchpelt succumbs to the smoke inhalation. As the wind encourages the fire towards the river, Fireheart leads his Clanmates across to safety. A RiverClan patrol led by Leopardfur helps them cross, and ThunderClan takes shelter in RiverClan's camp for the night. Rain quenches the fire, and Graystripe and Fireheart return to camp the following sunhigh. Halftail has died, and Fireheart comforts Yellowfang as she passes away. ThunderClan returns home that night, and Bluestar and several others blame the fire on StarClan's anger.

Description

Hot days

"There's never been a summer like it. The forest is as dry as a kit's bedding."

―One-eye about the heat ^{Rising Storm, page 156}

A quarter moon after Tigerclaw's exile, the Clans became plagued with a series of hot days. There has been little rainfall for two moons, and the lack of rain leaves the forest dry and the ground dusty. As the hot weather continues, the streams in ThunderClan's territory dried up, the vegetation withers, and cats are forced to drink from the river. Fireheart organizes patrols to bring back water-soaked moss from the river for the queens and kits. Twolegs also begin trespassing in the forest, chasing the cats and disturbing the prey. Eventually, a fire breaks out in the middle of the night, and the dry undergrowth provides ample fuel to rapidly swell the blaze. As Twolegs attempt to quench the blaze, Fireheart detects smoke and calls for an evacuation.

Evacuating the camp

«The trees that had sheltered the Clan were being swallowed up by fire, their trunks enveloped in flames. Fireheart saw Yellowfang stare up at him with Halftail clutched in her jaws, her orange eyes huge.»

—Fireheart about the fire ^{Rising Storm, page 250}

As the fire rages closer to the camp, Fireheart orders for evacuations and races from den to den calling for cats to flee to the river. He orders cats to stick together as they race into the forest, and asks Longtail and Mousefur to help Willowpelt carry her kits. Just as the cats reach the top of the ravine, the fire creeps into the edges of the camp. The cats notice that Halftail, Patchpelt, and Goldenflower's kit Bramblekit are missing. Fireheart vows to return to camp and find them, and Yellowfang goes with him. As the flames just barely enter the camp, Fireheart and Yellowfang locate the two elders slumped together as if Patchpelt had been attempting to drag his Clanmate to safety. As the smoke thickens, Fireheart drags Patchpelt to the top of the ravine. He notices Bramblekit stuck on a smoldering branch in a nearby tree. After rescuing the small kit, the flaming tree falls into camp, trapping Yellowfang and Halftail. Fireheart drags Patchpelt to Sunningrocks where the rest of the Clan sheltered. However, despite Cinderpelt's best efforts, Patchpelt dies and Fireheart feels mortified for failing to save him.

Seeking refuge

"Leopardfur was right to help you. All the Clans fear fire. [...] You may stay until it is safe for you to return."

―Crookedstar ^{Rising Storm, page 266}

The storm finally breaks with the promise of coming rain, but Fireheart realizes the breeze is driving the fire towards the river so he leads his Clan across to safety. The fire encroaches too quickly for them to reach the stepping stones, so the ThunderClan deputy leads them across in a shallow area. Leopardfur, RiverClan's deputy, leads a patrol to help ThunderClan cross the river, including Patchpelt's body where ThunderClan had been forced to leave him. It finally rains as ThunderClan is guided to RiverClan's camp where Crookedstar allows them to seek refuge.

The loss of a wise friend

«Unable to answer, Fireheart dipped his head and began frantically licking her fur, as if his love for this old she-cat were enough to hold her in the forest for a while longer.»

—Fireheart during Yellowfang's final moments ^{Rising Storm, page 282}

Yellowfang succumbed to effects of the fire.

The next sunhigh, Fireheart and Graystripe venture into ThunderClan's territory to search for Yellowfang and Halftail. The fire had burned the forest up to the river and destroyed the vegetation surrounding the camp, leaving it vulnerable and exposed. In the camp, only the Highrock remained unchanged. Fireheart and Graystripe locate Halftail's body outside the medicine den and while Graystripe buries him, Fireheart comforts Yellowfang, who survived hiding in her den. Yellowfang thanks Fireheart for bringing her to ThunderClan and wonders how StarClan will judge her before succumbing to the heavy smoke inhalation.

Deaths

• Patchpelt
• Halftail
• Yellowfang

Aftermath

"How could StarClan do this? Have they no pity? I will never go to the Moonstone again! From now on, my dreams are my own. StarClan has declared war on my Clan, and I shall never forgive them."

―Bluestar after the fire ^{Rising Storm, page 291}

Bluestar lost her faith in StarClan after the fire.

Several of ThunderClan's elders attribute the fire to StarClan's anger due to Bluestar breaking the warrior code by naming Fireheart her deputy after moonhigh. Even Bluestar attributes the fire in the prophecy from StarClan to their destroyed camp. When Fireheart and Graystripe report back to the Clan what they found and the deaths of Yellowfang and Halftail, Bluestar insists ThunderClan must return home that night and thanks Crookedstar for his generosity. Bluestar, who had suffered from Tigerclaw's betrayal and has been meek and insecure, is now cynical and invigorated with rage against StarClan. She blames them for the fire and vows to never forgive them.

Fireheart advocates for prompt rebuilding of the camp and sending out hunting patrols to find anything to eat. A quarter-moon after the fire, the Clan has patched up the dens with leafy vegetation that had been spared from the fire, though it still has a long way to recovery. Prey is scarce as the prey returns slowly back to the forest, and Fireheart worries about the coming leaf-bare. The camp remains exposed as the undergrowth slowly regrows, resulting in a hawk killing Snowkit. The exposure to the smoke also results in Crookedstar's cough worsening, weakening him, and he eventually dies due to health complications. Leopardstar also detects weakness in ThunderClan since the fire and attempts to retake Sunningrocks from them.

Characters

Fireheart

«What was happening to their Clan? Did StarClan truly want to kill them all?»

—Fireheart about the fire ^{Rising Storm, page 255}

Fireheart is ThunderClan's deputy and led the evacuation of the camp during the fire

Fireheart is ThunderClan's deputy and has been tasked with caring for the Clan will Bluestar unwell. He is aware that some of his Clanmates resent him and his status as deputy since it breaks the warrior code. Fireheart is the first to detect the fire and leads the evacuation of the camp. When he learns that some of his Clanmates are missing, he and Yellowfang return to camp to find them. After rescuing Bramblekit and losing Yellowfang in camp, Fireheart worries he saved Tigerclaw's son over one of his closest friends. At Sunningrocks, Fireheart realizes the wind is blowing the fire towards the river so Fireheart leads his Clanmates to a shallow crossing area in the river. With Bluestar unwell, Fireheart asks Crookedstar for help on her behalf. After the fire is quenched by the rain, Fireheart and Graystripe venture to ThunderClan's camp to find Yellowfang and Halftail. Fireheart finds Yellowfang in her den and comforts her as she dies. As Bluestar becomes cynical of StarClan, Fireheart leads rebuilding efforts to the camp, and worries about the coming leaf-bare.

Yellowfang

"Thank you for bringing me to ThunderClan. Tell Bluestar I have always been grateful for the home she gave me. This is a good place to die. I only regret that I will miss watching you become what StarClan has destined you to be."

―Yellowfang to Fireheart before her death ^{Rising Storm, page 282}

Yellowfang is ThunderClan's medicine cat who died trying to save her Clanmates from the fire

Yellowfang is ThunderClan's medicine cat and a trusted friend and advisor to Fireheart. When Fireheart learns that Bramblekit, Halftail, and Patchpelt are missing during the fire, Yellowfang volunteers to go back and look for them with Fireheart. They find the missing elders near the elders' den and Yellowfang tells Fireheart to take Patchpelt out of camp. Yellowfang struggles with the thick smoke as she drags Halftail out of camp. When Fireheart saves Bramblekit, the tree topples into camp, trapping Yellowfang and Halftail inside. Fireheart attempts to call out to her, but she doesn't respond. Fireheart is haunted that he left Yellowfang behind to save Bramblekit. Yellowfang attempts to drag Halftail to the safety of her den, though he dies from breathing in too much smoke. Fireheart finds Yellowfang in the medicine den, having survived the blaze. She knows she's about to die; Yellowfang thanks Fireheart for his friendship, for allowing her to live in ThunderClan, and apologizes for not living long enough to see him fulfill his destiny. Fireheart reassures her that StarClan will understand what she's done as she passes away. Spottedleaf reassures Fireheart that Yellowfang's spirit is safe. Yellowfang's death hurts Cinderpelt and Bluestar the most, and Bluestar attributes her death to StarClan's anger.

Bramblekit

«It was beginning to dawn on him that Yellowfang might be lost because he stopped to save Tigerclaw's son. He shook his head violently. He couldn't think about that.»

—Fireheart about saving Bramblekit ^{Rising Storm, page 254}

Fireheart was suspicious of Bramblekit because of his father, though he rescued the tiny kit during the fire

Fireheart grows unsettled by Tigerclaw's son, Bramblekit, who resembles his father, and Fireheart has a difficult time not thinking of Tigerclaw and his treacheries every time he looks at Bramblekit. He was uneasy every time Bramblekit looked at him from the nursery. During the evacuation, Goldenflower loses track of her son while climbing the ravine. Fireheart and Yellowfang return to find him, and Fireheart spots Bramblekit clinging to a branch on a burning tree on the side of the ravine. Fireheart wastes no time rescuing Bramblekit, though the tree falls into camp, trapping Yellowfang and Halftail. Fireheart leads Bramblekit to the rest of the Clan by Sunningrocks, though he worries he saved Tigerclaw's son over Yellowfang. Bramblekit grows to idolize Fireheart for saving him, though a part of Fireheart feels regret for Yellowfang's death. Tigerclaw also witnesses Fireheart saving Bramblekit and, while he is appreciative of Fireheart for saving his son, he still vows he'll have his revenge.

Crookedstar and Leopardfur

«It was a debt she would not forget. RiverClan had been generous to the Clan that had stolen Sunningrocks and caused the deaths of Whiteclaw, Sunfish, Whitefang, and Silverstream. And yet she suspected that only she and StarClan truly realized how much ThunderClan owed them. One day, RiverClan would ask for something in return, and when they did, she hoped that ThunderClan would be prepared to honor Bluestar's promise.»

—Leopardfur about helping ThunderClan ^{Leopardstar's Honor, page 397}

Leopardfur is suspicious of ThunderClan when they seek shelter with RiverClan, and eventually leads an attack on ThunderClan when they are recovering from the fire

RiverClan quickly notices the fire on the other side of the river and they worry it might cross the river and impact RiverClan. As smoke billows over to RiverClan's camp, Crookedstar orders Leopardfur, Heavystep, Graystripe, Blackclaw, Loudbelly, and Mudfur to verify that ThunderClan is alright. They notice ThunderClan on the opposite shore preparign to cross, and Leopardfur orders her patrol to help them. Leopardfur helps Fireheart carry Smallear across and she grabs Patchpelt's deceased body from the shoreline, insisting he needs a proper burial. At their camp, Leopardfur grows suspicious about Bluestar's health and Graystripe spending too much time with Fireheart. The following day, Crookedstar and Leopardfur speak with Bluestar and the ThunderClan leader thanks RiverClan for their help and insists they are in their debt. Crookedstar's cough worsens from the smoke he breathed in. His illness worsens and Crookedstar eventually dies from it, and Leopardstar believes ThunderClan has weakened enough from the fire to attempt to retake Sunningrocks.

Quotes

Smallear: "I told you StarClan would show its anger! Our home has gone; the forest is no more."

Speckletail: "Bluestar should have appointed the deputy before moonhigh. It's the custom!"

^{Rising Storm, page 269}

"Don't grieve too much for the forest. It will grow back quickly, stronger because of the injuries it has suffered, like a broken bone that heals twice as well."

―Cinderpelt to Fireheart ^{Rising Storm, page 293}

See also

• Rising Storm
• Rising Storm Cliffnotes