Can the fire at 2 Peter 3:7 mean a refining or cleansing, rather than a complete destruction?

Jesus said the Earth will be destroyed again but not by water, people just assume it will be fire.

What is the difference? The purpose of a refining fire is to destroy the impurities out of the metal.

Hebrews 12

25 See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven:

26 Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven.

27 And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.

The fire which is spoken of is a complete and total cleansing of the surface of the Earth the Earth is not going to be destroyed just the surface of the Earth will be melted a few feet down far enough down to kill everything and leave the planet with Rich black sterile soil when everything is returned to the soil it will be extremely nutrient-rich it will be completely free of all disease organisms all things harmful will be gone and the new City Jerusalem which is 2000 Miles by 2000 Miles by 2000 miles will contain plenty of life to reseed the surface of Earth after the 1000 years of rest and Rehabilitation where Jesus teaches all the Christians within the walls of New Jerusalem how to behave themselves after it's all over the doors will be opened and humans will start to repopulate the Earth

Nope. They were destroyed once by water, now awaiting destruction by fire.

It will be a complete destruction of everything in opposition to God, and a cleansing of people that do not worship God in and acceptable way.

Note that the upcoming day of judgment and of destruction is compared with the destruction of the world of Noah’s time.

What world was destroyed? Our planet survived; it was the ungodly people God’s enemies who suffered destruction.

During God’s upcoming day of judgment, those who choose to be God’s enemies will likewise be destroyed. But God’s friends will be preserved, as were Noah and his family.

Peter is here making a symbolic reference to the earth. The Bible writer Moses similarly referred to the earth in a symbolic way. He wrote: “All the earth continued to be of one language.” Genesis 11:1 Just as the literal earth does not speak “one language,” it is not the literal earth that will be destroyed. Rather, as Peter states, it is ungodly men who will suffer destruction.

Happily, the imminent destruction of ungodly men will clear the way for a new earthly society in which righteousness is to dwell.

Revelation 21: states it this way

1Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,”a for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’b or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

5He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

It doesn't mean anything. It's fiction

FROM FOOTNOTES

IN NOAH'S DAY THE EARTH WAS JUDGED BY WATER, AT THE SECOND COMING IT WILL BE JUDGED BY FIRE.

Based on the immediate context, no.

2Pet 3:5 But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water. 6 By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed.

This time the whole earth and heavens (i.e. the universe) will be destroyed, not just the world (the landscape and people).

No, not at all. It's more like a campfire that gives light, warmth, and marshmallows.