Symbol Fire

Photo from: treehugger

Fire appears in the novel first when they are in the cattle car going to the camp.  When Madame Schächter has a preminition of fire and starts screaming " Fire! I see a fire! Fire!"  Everyone thought that she had gone crazy because she had gotten seperated from her husband and oldest child by mistake.  This endes up being true when they get to the camp they see fire coming from the top of the chimmeny.  Fire in the novel represents death.