Haha, yes! Easy to be happy, if by happy you mean stave off existential dread for a few hours.
There's something about fire that moves humanity.
The crackle, the flicker, the scent of smoke and wood, the glowing warmth that caresses away chills. It's hypnotic, and on such a primal level that we don't always notice it.
Staring into a fire, just in the moment is meditative. Your mind can either roam free, or empty itself out to let you float in the now.
Anons dad needs to practice fire in the winter. It is even better in the winter because it can warm you up but the weather still keeps your beer cold.
I don't see why autism would have anything to do with it. People have been sitting and staring at fires for thousands of years. It's hypnotic, and it's a good kind of meditative clear your mind kind of situation, or good time to just sit and think.
You have the deepest conversations around a fire. Everything from philosophy to art to politics, this is how man bonds with his brethren.
When I was a little kid, if I was good then my grandparents would fill a big pot with torn-up newspapers, set them on fire, and let me watch them burn. Apparently this isn't a normal child-rearing practice. I'm not sure why.