Marvel Mystery Comics #6 (1940)

Two crooks named Turgo and Patch are plotting to steal the plans of an incendiary bomb that has been stored in the safe of the Midtown bank. To this end, they light a forest fire to distract the town's volunteer firefighters so that they can commit their robbery without opposition. However, the raging forest fire also attract the attention of Jim Hammond, the Human Torch who springs into action. Arriving at he scene of the blaze, the Torch lends his aid to rescue a fire fighter that has been trapped in the blaze and finds evidence that proves the fire was deliberately set. Hearing that the bank has been robbed the Torch rushes to the scene and frees the bank staff who have been locked in the vault to suffocate. Speaking to the bank manager he learns that the two crooks stole the incendiary bomb plans, and before they can figure out where the crooks went the city is pelted with bombs made from the plans. Stopping a second bombardment with his flame powers, the Human Torch spots their origin point and flies off to the nearby mountains where Turgo and Patch have built a cannon to launch the bombs. When the Torch motions to destroy the cannon, they flee figuring the electrodes will do the hero in, however they have no effect on him. The two crooks escape to their car and try to drive away; however, a flame fired by the Torch makes them crash. Before the Torch can apprehend them a rock launched by the auto-wreck strikes him and knocks him out. As Patch hops onto a nearby bulldozer to crush the Torch's body, the two crooks realize that they are near the blaze that they set earlier. The flames, sensing their master is in danger, rush to his aid and burn Turgo to death then come to shelter the Torch. Fearful of getting burned, Patch makes a run for it up the side of a cliff to avoid the rising flames. When the Human Torch revives, he lets out a shout that puts out the entire forest fire and then goes to confront Patch. Patch tries to push the Torch off the cliff, however he flames on, burning the crook badly and sending him falling to his death. After the bank manager asks the Torch if he got the plans back, the Torch advises him they burned up with the crooks and considers that for the best as they were too dangerous a weapon for anyone to possess. Later he chuckles to himself as one of the firefighters remarks on how the fire strangely doused itself out.