[ he gives something of a despairing sigh at the mention of light. he does know light spells, to be sure, but of course they're meaningless here beyond whatever minimal heat is transferred by it. fire still works best.

which is exactly why he does a casual snap of his fingers to produce a quick flame, showing he is indeed capable. it's a common party trick used for lighting candles and such. while it produces no more light than is already present, a clear shape forms and a the faint whoosh of the flame gulping down oxygen is clear before it dies from the source. ]

Definitely practical. It simplifies a lot of things in life. Well, usually. The light not working thing is a bit on the nose, but magic is about more than just light.