Your own property is concerned when your neighbor's house is on fire.

The saying frames self-interest and civic responsibility as inseparable: a neighbor’s disaster is not merely someone else’s misfortune but a direct threat to one’s own security. In a dense urban setting, a fire spreads quickly; prudence therefore requires attention to others’ peril. More broadly, the line argues against complacent individualism—social stability, public safety, and mutual aid protect private welfare. It can be read as an early articulation of interdependence: communities function because risks are shared, and ignoring another’s crisis ultimately endangers oneself.