Unfruitful believers prove that they are merely professing believers and not true believers and they spend eternity in hell. It is thus an impossible view. The idea that genuine Christians always abide in Christ is something foreign to Scripture. The temporal judgment view fits the particulars of the passage, is consistent with the rest of Scripture, and upholds the doctrine of eternal security. It is such people who are commanded to abide and yet may fail to do so.
Fire is a common metaphorin Scripture for both temporal and eternal judgment.
Of course, since genuine believers are in view as we have seen, then temporal judgment must be meant here. In fact, even some Lordship Salvation advocates take this interpretation of our verse. A common practice of viticulture then and now is the pruning and burning of unproductive branches. Its application to unproductive believers can be easily seen. God chastens those believers who persist in willful disobedience.