"The Fire" received mostly positive reviews from critics. TV Squad's Michael Sciannamea wrote that "The Fire" was "another good episode." Sciannamea went on to write that "show has definitely improved and it's nice to see the other characters emerge". "Miss Alli" of Television Without Pity graded the episode with a "B+". Dwight's reinterpretation of "We Didn't Start the Fire" inspired fans of "The Office" to make their own song parodies. One version, aptly titled "Ryan Started the Fire", lists several events from "The Office", much like the original. After posting the song, Margaret Lyons from "Entertainment Weekly" wrote, "Yay for the Internet!"