"While Phoenix Dive always did area damage at both the start and end of its journey"
actually, in 1.072 they removed the damage, and people complained. they added it back in the latest patch, which is probably where the change to when the firefield effect is applied got done as well.
"Well, the mage spell "self immolate" and "explode" both deal fire damage to the caster."
argument is irrelevant.
