The combustible material in most fatal fires is polymeric innature. Whether natural or synthetic, these solid fuels account for 94 % of lives lost, 80 % of reported injuries, and 94 % property lost in residential fires in the United States (1). As a result, numerous tests have been devised for flammability and many codes and regulations cite them. Not coincidentally, significant effort has been devoted to improve the fire resistance of polymers. Such progress relies on understanding the nature of fire, fuel properties and how to measure them, and the mechanisms of polymer degradation.