Does fire give off uv rays?

Question

i was just wondering. cause isn't the sun a big ball of fire? so wouldn't fire give off uv rays. and how harmful are they. are they like less harmful then beta radiation? or what?

Answer 1

I am no expert but know that a fireplace fire or campfire can help the body with vitamin D metabolism.  That means that it contains UV rays I guess.  The sun is very hot and a long way away, our atmosphere shields us from the majority of bad rays if it is healthy.  A campfire is small and only 4-6 feet away and it is way less intense, but there is no deflecting barrior between us and the campfire.  The people who live far north are alive I think, and they live in complete darkness for a while, with a woodstove  

Answer 2

Most definitely yes. UV flame detectors are commonplace in thousands of properties and are very efficient. My only question is how much is produced by a conventional fire? I am a firefighting instructor in the Fire Service and my colleagues and I are concerned over the damage possibly being caused to our eyesight by regularly 'staring' at fires during training activities. There is a court case going on as I write this where an instructor is claiming that he is suffering a form of 'arc' eye from carrying out his duties.