| Fabric | Fiber Type | Reaction to Flame | Bead | After-Flame | Ash | Odor | Smoke/Fume |
| Cotton | Cellulose Fiber | May flare when lit, burns | None | Continues to glow | Fine, soft | Burning paper | Gray or white |
| Hemp | " | quickly, bright flame, | " | flame is removedbut does not melt | gray ash | leaves, or wood | smoke; no fume hazard |
| Jute | " | doesn’t shrink from flame | " | " | " | " | " |
| Linen (Flax) | " | " | " | " | " | " | " |
| Ramie | " | " | " | " | " | " | " |
| Rayon | Manufactured cellulosic fiber | Burns without flame or melting; may flare | None unless there is a fabric finish | May glow a bit longer than cotton after flame is removed | Soft, gray ash | Burning paper | Light fume hazard |
| Silk | Protein fiber | Burns slowly, curls away from flame | Dark bead easily crushed | Self-extinguishing | Dark gritty fine powder | Burned hair or charred meat | Little or no smoke. No fume hazard |
| Alpaca | " | Burns slowly, sizzles, curls away from flame; may curl back onto fingernail | Brittle, dark, easily crushed | " | Harsh ash from crushed bead | Strong odor of hair or feathers | Dark smoke; moderate fume |
| Cahmere | " | " | " | " | " | " | |
| Mohair | " | " | " | " | " | " | " |
| Wool | " | " | " | " | " | " | " |
| Acetate, Triacetate | " | Burns quickly, can flare even after flame is removed | Hard, brittle, uncrushable | Melts into very hot bead; DRIP DANGER | No ash | Hot vinegar or burning pepper | Black smoke; fume hazard |
| Nylon, Polymide | Quick burning due to fabric finish; shrinks to flame | Hard, grayish uncrushable | Burns slowly & melts; self-extinguishing, DRIP DANGER | No ash | Celery | Fume hazard; | |
| Polyester | Quick burning, shrinks away from flame; may flare | Hard dark round bead | Burns slowly, not always self-extinguishing | No ash | Slightly sweet chemical odor | Black smoke; fume hazard | |
| Acrylic,Modacrylic, Polyacrylic | Flares at match-touch, shrinks from flame, burns rapidly, hot sputtering flame; drip danger! | Hard, dark,irregular shape | Continues melting after flame is removed;self-extinguishing | No ash | Strong acrid, fishy odor | Black smoke;fume hazard |