Rename your var and see what happens. Honestly I have had this help before. Usually from spelling mistakes you can't see. If not then could you post a bit more of your code so we can see more of what is happening.

Ok, here some more code; The game is german, so the variables are German too, I tried to commend them that you can understand it. This is the whole fire-function:

function feuer(pox,poy)
{
var aufgenommen=0; //create the variable "aufgenommen"
if(feuani==-2)
{animationfeuer();
feuani=0;} //animate the fire
PANEL* feua = pan_create("pos_x=0;pos_y=0;flags=OVERLAY | VISIBLE;",8); //create the fire
pan_setwindow(feua,0,0,0,30,18,feu_bmp,feuani,0); //animate the fire with window
my = ent_create("gegum.mdl",nullvector,NULL); //give the fire an entity
my.skill3=50; //live of the fire
my.flags=INVISIBLE; //set the Entity on invisible
my.skill6=2;
while(my.skill3>=0) //repead while the life of the fire is bigger than zero
{
vec_set(my.x,vector(feua.pos_x+15*my.skill3/50,feua.pos_y+9*my.skill3/50,0)); //set the position of the entity on the position of the fire-panel
feua.pos_x=stage_a.pos_x+pox-15*my.skill3/50;
feua.pos_y=stage_a.pos_y+poy-9*my.skill3/50; //position of the fire on the map named "stage_a"
feua.scale_x=my.skill3/50;
feua.scale_y=my.skill3/50; //scale the fire proportional with his live
if(my.skill3<50)
my.skill3+=1*time_ste; //rebuild the fire from time to time
wait(1);
}
media_tune(snd_play(zisch_snd,NULL,100),100,150,100); //make a sound
ptr_remove(feua); //delete the fire-panel
ent_remove(my); //delete the entity from the fire
feuerzahl+=1; //count the firenumber
}


And there the whole code for the water:


function distanz(pox, poy) //This function is triggered by the player
{
attart = bmap_create("att1.bmp"); //create the bitmap
PANEL* flobj = pan_create("pos_x=0;pos_y=0;bmap=attart;flags=OVERLAY | VISIBLE;",10); //create the water-panel
var posl[2];
posl[0]=pox;
posl[1]=poy; //set the positions
while(flobj.skill_x<100&&flobj.skill_y==0) //repeat until it finds a target or the time is off
{
flobj.pos_x=stage_a.pos_x+posl[0]-4.5;
flobj.pos_y=stage_a.pos_y+posl[1]-4.5; //set the positions on the map
flobj.skill_x+=4*time_step; //count the skill_x of the panel
posl[1]-=16*time_step; //move the water
if(vec_dist(vector(pox,poy,0),vector(posl[0],posl[1],0))>18) //if the water is away from this one who shots
{c_scan(vector(flobj.pos_x+4.5,flobj.pos_y+4.5,0),my.pan,vector(360,0,9),NULL);} //look for targets
if(you) //if there's a target
{
if(vec_dist(you.x,vector(stage_a.pos_x+posl[0]-4.5,stage_a.pos_y+posl[1]-4.5,0))<=9) //if the target near you
{
effectiv = 30;
you.skill3-=effectiv; //damage the target

if(flobj.skill_y==0)
{
snd_play(platsch_snd,NULL,effectiv*3); //make a sound
flobj.skill_y=1;}
}}
wait(1);
}
pan_remove(flobj); //remove the water
}


And last, the function of the scenario (cutted):

function part_3()
{

.
.
.

feuer(200,850);
feuer(130,920);
feuer(240,1000);
feuer(400,980);
feuer(270,920); //create the fires

.
.
.

dialog("Lösche alle Feuer!"); //function for a dialog
.
.
.

beep();
var i = 0;
while(feuerzahl<5) //the test-loop from ottawa
{
for (i=1; i<5; i++)
{
test = i; //test is a value, who I see on a digit
beep();wait(-2);
} //beep every second
}
beep();beep();beep();beep(); //test, if the function continues

.
.
.

}

The whole code works, only this problem with the firenumber don't do what it should do. Hope, there are enough informations.

The sample at the thread start is correct. just try it and you should see.
I have free 5min and just tried your sample:


this is the console output (I pressed the 'I' key periodically):

there are few reason to get failed with your loop:
- a global variable modified suddenly (somewhere in your code); for example, inside an action of many concurrent entities;
- global variable has wrong type (comparing with 'while' statement); for example using signed or high precision var to test smth like: "x == .5"
- wrong 'while' statement;

suggestions:
- at first, search over your files for the 'firenumber' to see, where you try to modify it.
- at second, add more debug printouts to see the execution flow.
- try to debug.

Jea Thank you to take your time to try to lift this problem.
But I discovered, the variable 'firenumber' is not the fault;
I displaced "while(firenumber<5){wait(1);}" with "while(!key_space)wait(1);"
If I press space before I extinguishe one fire, it works fine. If I extinguishe one fire before I press space, nothing happens. So the fire-function must make the scenario-function stuck. So I wrote this five lines:

feuer(200,850);
feuer(130,920);
feuer(240,1000);
feuer(400,980);
feuer(270,920);

In another function and, I was amazed, it works!
To test something I replaced the "my" from the fire-function with another entity-pointer and it works with this five lines in the scenario-function also. So I ask me; why gets a function stuck, if I remove his "my" pointer?