What is the significance of the church fire scene in The Outsiders? How does it help the characters develop?

During the church fire scene in Chapter 6, Ponyboy, Johnny, and Dally develop as characters, as their actions are brave and responsible. When Ponyboy sees the church on fire, he immediately feels responsible for having started it by smoking inside the church and rushes into the church to help the children who are trapped inside. He thinks to himself, "All I could think was: We started it. We started it. We started it!" (page numbers...

During the church fire scene in Chapter 6, Ponyboy, Johnny, and Dally develop as characters, as their actions are brave and responsible. When Ponyboy sees the church on fire, he immediately feels responsible for having started it by smoking inside the church and rushes into the church to help the children who are trapped inside. He thinks to himself, "All I could think was: We started it. We started it. We started it!" (page numbers vary by edition). Johnny, who also takes responsibility for possibly starting the fire, is right behind him. Johnny tells the trapped children he's in charge—which is a change from his previous frightened behavior. Ponyboy says of Johnny, "He wasn't scared either. That was the only time I can think of when I saw him without that defeated, suspicious look in his eyes. He looked like he was having the time of his life" (page numbers vary by edition). While Johnny's experiences have left him scared and vulnerable, rescuing the children from the fire allows him to display a brave and commanding side of himself that appears to liberate him in some ways.

Later, Ponyboy learns from Jerry, the man in the ambulance that is taking him to the hospital, that Dally went into the church to rescue Johnny, an act that also showed immense courage. Jerry says to Ponyboy, "I swear, you three are the bravest kids I've seen in a long time" (page numbers vary by edition). The significance of the church fire is that it allows all three characters to put into action the brave and selfless sides of themselves that they are not always able to show in everyday life.