Theory:Pyrokinesis

Main Article Theories about pyrokinesis Main Discussion

The following fan theories are about pyrokinesis.

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Theories

Theory	Citations	Notes
This power involves heating oxygen until it can burn.	None	- This would not explain why the user is immune to the heat of the flames. - Heating oxygen doesn't create flames, it causes an explosion. Fire works because of other gases released by the fuel reacting with the oxygen and producing heat. - Heating (pure) oxygen will result in an explosion, and will not burn after it. Heating air does not cause an explosion because air is not pure oxygen. - It won't burn because there is no fuel. Combustion needs oxygen, fuel and heat. This theory involves oxygen and heat, but not any fuel. In fact, fire works because of the hydrocarbons in the fuel. + Claire nearly suffocates from a lack of oxygen when Meredith "trains" her. - Fire burns oxygen, in an enclosed area it would burn up all the oxygen in the air and cause suffocation.
This power involves control of friction at the atomic level.	None	+ Heat is caused by friction at the atomic level, with enough heat generated combustion is possible. + The human body produces methane as a by-product of digestion. Methane is very flammable. This would be a readily available fuel source. - Then it would need a lot of methane for pyrokinesis. Flint has been shown throwing a great amount of flame around the bank. Unless Flint eats extremely excessively, his body won't be able to produce such a large amount of hydrocarbons. • Flint's body may work different then the average human's, creating much more methane then normal. • Pyrokinetics can't make the air explode by simply increasing friction forces in it. • Something similar exists.
Pyrokinetics are immune to the side effects of constantly burning a fire (i.e. lack of oxygen or temperature index).	None.	+ In, One of Us, One of Them Meredith constantly burned her flame in an enclosed room and while Claire felt the effects of fire, Meredith did not; she was not sweating, or breathing heavy from the lack of air.
The actual fire is sustained by means of a "psionic" fuel.	None	+ In order for combustion to take place, there needs to be oxygen, fuel and heat. This sort of "psionic" fuel could be extremely easy to ignite, with just the least bit of friction, explaining the instant fire. + Heavier concentration could result in a more potent fuel, explaining why some pyrokinetics have blue fire.
If Peter gets his mimicry back he will absorb pyrokinesis from Meredith.	The writers have stated that Peter's pyrokinesis in the explosion future absolutely came from Meredith.	+ This could be how his future incarnate gets pyrokinesis. - This future doesn't exist anymore, therefore all of it's possibilities could be erased. - Peter was in very close proximity to Flint when he injected himself with the formula. If he did get empathic mimicry back, he most likely would have absorbed pyrokinesis from Flint. - Meredith is dead.
The fire is generated by the release of certain phosphorus-rich gases which ignite on contact with oxygen, and is produced with glands absent in regular humans located in the hands.	None	+ This would scientifically account for the instant fire.