Kindle went dead, plug in charger, looks like a battery with an orange light appears. Can this happen?

How old is the battery, bet it is the problem.

Your battery has failed, and must be replaced. (They do not last forever.)

To reset it just hold the power button for 20 seconds, If your Kindle Fire won't turn on it's possible the battery went dead (if it was left "on" too long).
Plug in the power charger and wait about 15 minutes to make sure it gets enough charge, and then try turning it on again.
If it still won't turn on, try to reset the Kindle Fire again to be sure it's powered off. hope that helps

If your Kindle Fire won't turn on it's possible the battery went dead (if it was left "on" too long).
Plug in the power charger and wait about 15 minutes to make sure it gets enough charge, and then try turning it on again.
If it still won't turn on, try to reset the Kindle Fire again to be sure it's powered off.
Resetting your Kindle Fire is actually really easy, just hold down the power button for at least 20 seconds.

If this is a first generation Kindle Fire, then you are in good company, and the problem may not be the battery itself (which is good, b/c the battery is not user replaceable, at least for non-techies). Refusal to charge is apparently a very common problem, which seems to have multiple contributing factors. The charging port sometimes gets 'loose' or dirty, so I would suggest trying that first. Vacuum or blow out any dust/dirt, then look at it under a bright light and perhaps with a magnifying glass to see whether any portion is bent or twisted. If all looks OK, then I would try plugging it in and gently moving the cable around a bit to see whether the charge light goes on and off. If so, you might be able to still charge it by 'propping' the cable to gently nudge it in the direction that causes it to connect. This is a relatively short-term solution, as it will eventually stop working. Another problem seems to be in the 'programming' inside the Kindle, such that, under certain conditions, even with a good charger and cable, it will not take a charge. A common trick, when this seems to be the case, is to ensure that it has fully shut down before trying to charge. For some reason, if it is fully shut down, it is more likely to 'accept' a charge. Push the power button (with the charge cable unplugged) and hold it for at least 20 seconds. After that, it should be fully shut down. Then connect the cable and look for the orange light. If you get it, then leave it alone (verify it stays on when you lay it down, and 'prop' as needed) and preferably leave it to charge all day or all night, or until you see the charge light has turned green. If none of that is successful, and especially if you cannot get the charging light to come on no matter what you do, then try a new cable (cheap ones won't do) and/or a new charger. Borrow from a good friend for a cheap test. We just gave up on ours, after several months of nursing it along using various methods. It is a shame, because the device (except for weight and thickness) has been fantastic for my wife and then my daughter. I hope you manage to get a lot more time from yours!

Is the device new or still under warranty? Is return to the store (RMA--"Return Merchandise Authorization"--through an online vendor) still possible? Extended warranty?

Is the charger (and outlet) OK? If you may attempt to use USB current from your PC/Laptop/etc., is that port workable and powered? Have you attempted an alternate method of charging? Is syncing then possible?

Chargers are not invulnerable--rarely, they sometimes overheat and die. After all, they're fabricated PRC items too--thus, even they may prove defective. (They're far less complex than a Kindle or phone, though--defective chargers thus prove quite rare.)

Chargers can't last indefinitely or through overly heavy use, either. (Chargers do tend to last longer than devices--failure proves quite rare!) Is the charger unusually hot after plug-in? (Such failure could prove a great danger to electronic devices. Very rarely, even fire or sparking is possible.) Is charger connection at the wall OK? (Is the outlet overloaded?)

Is it a "block" charger?: These may be replaced easily. Just get the connector and the Volts correct--with sufficient amperage (current). You don't need even to obtain the same brand and model as OEM--that which came originally with your charger. Online, amazon, Radio Shack, etc. may prove very helpful for such purposes.

Does the connector have sufficiently good contact through your Kindle's circuitry to its batteries? (Is the connection overly loose? Often, this occurs over time.)

Are you certain that the charging cable is OK? Does the connector in the Kindle need "doctoring" with a small tool, somehow? If the batteries are dead, it's likely possible to replace them.

It's possible that the device simply is dead (shorted-out)--power surge or fluctuation certainly are possible and likely culprits.

An extremely remote possibility is that the CPU or other key chipset is dead--even those prove useful for limited numbers of cycles. (Failure then implies quite extreme usage! Probably not!) It's not immortal!

Step 1: Plug the Kindle into the charger
Step 2: Hold Down the Power Button for 60 Seconds
Step 3: Release Power Button - wait 60 seconds
Step 4: Press and Release Power button normally

Will it charge when connected to your computer then recover your data. Open replace the battery with a fully charged one to see if the charge circuit is at fault. Buy a new one

1. Connect the device to the charger (if you got one, in some countries Amazon does not include a separate charger). Otherwise use the provided USB cable and connect it to a PC.
2. Does the light come up now? While charging, there should be a constant amber light that turns into green when the device is fully charged.
3. If there is no light, your Kindle, cable or charger is broken and you should contact Amazon Kindle support for a replacement / repair.
4. If the light went on, wait until it turns green.
5. Slide and hold the on switch until after the power light blinks three times. This should happen after about 5 seconds of holding.
6. Release the switch and wait for the device to boot up.
7. If there is still no reaction, contact Amazon Kindle support for repair or replacement options.
   

have you tried charging it with the A/C adapter instead of the USB connector?