Final answer:
Fires are the use of weapon systems to create specific lethal or nonlethal effects on a target, reflecting the evolution of warfare throughout history, including the use of chemical, nuclear, and hybrid warfare.
Step-by-step explanation:
By definition, fires are the use of weapon systems or other actions to create a specific lethal or nonlethal effect on a target. This concept refers broadly to the employment of various methods of warfare used throughout history, from the use of fire in ancient times as described by Sun Tzu, to the introduction of chemical and biological weapons, and up to the more recent developments in nuclear weapons and hybrid warfare. In World War I and World War II, the use of fire escalated from single combat to mass casualties inflicted by long-range weapons like artillery and aerial bombardment. The technological evolution has continued, allowing for warfare that can now take place across multiple domains and can be waged from great distances, causing widespread destruction.