During the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC), prince Zhou Xu of the State of Wei killed his brother and became the new emperor. Zhou Xu was a tyrant. He oppressed his people and indulged in wars of agGREssion. By launching wars, he tried to divert the people's attention and reduce their discontent with him in order to consolidate his dictatorship.

　　The Duke of the State of Lu leant about Zhou Xu's usurpation of state power and his ambitious plan, he asked a senior official, "What do you think about Zhou Xu's move? "The official answered, "He indulges in wars , bringing his people much disaster. He won't get their support. And he's capricious, so few of his close friends follow him. He can never achieve his success. In addition, war is like fire. If one launches wars endlessly without restraint, he'll eventually burn himself. "

　　Sure enough, the people of Wei with the help of the State of Chen overthrew Zhou Xu and killed him in less than a year.

　　Later, people use it to mean that those who do evil will finally ruin themselves.

　　春秋時期，衛國的王子州吁殺死了他的哥哥衛桓公，成為了衛國的國君。州吁是個暴君，他壓迫百姓，到處侵略別的國家。他想利用戰爭來分散百姓的注意力，減少人們對他的不滿，鞏固他的專政。

　　魯國的君王知道州吁篡奪了王位，還想吞并其他國家，就問他手下的一名官員："你認為州吁的目的能達到嗎？"那位官員說道："州吁到處打仗，給人民來了災難。人民不會支持他。他這個人又反復無常，身邊沒有什么親信。他不可能實現自己的野心。而且，戰爭就象火。無休止地打仗，最后，火會燒到自己身上。 "

　　果然，不到一年，衛國人民就在陳國的幫助下推翻了州吁的統治，并處死了他。

　　后來，人們用這個成語來比喻干害人的勾當，最后受害的還是自己。