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Experiment time: Took 1 3"x3"x1" foam. In an outdoor location, placed it on a flame-resistant surface. Held a lit match to it. Results: Immediately the foam began to melt. Within seconds, the foam was ignited, burning with a thick black smoke. Removing the heat source (the lit match) resulted in the foam quickly extinguishing itself. Conclusion: On small pieces of foam, there is little concern about combustibility if no other combustible material is available to sustain the foam's ignition. Remarks: Large pieces of ignited foam may produce enough heat to maintain ignition without a steady external heat source. Since foam used in model railroading is usually larger in size than the sample and is seldom isolated from amounts of other combustible material, the possibility of a sustained fire exists. It appears the extraneous material used in a model railroad, (wood, plastic, etc.) offers more "fuel for the fire" than an equal amount of foam board. The danger of toxic gasses from burning and or melting foam seems to be more of a concern than the burning foam itself. A modeler should look at the combined dangers of toxic gasses from rigid foam board and the other components over that of combustibilityof the layout to judge risk . Disclaimer: I am not a scientist and do not even play one on the internet. Wayne From the US Department of Energy website: "Foam insulation is relatively hard to ignite but when ignited, it burns readily and emits a dense smoke containing many toxic gases. The combustion characteristics of foam insulation products vary with the combustion temperatures, chemical formulation, and available air. Because of the dangers described above, foams used for construction require a covering as a fire barrier. One half-inch thick (1.27 cm) gypsum wallboard is one of the most common fire barriers. Some building codes, however, do not require an additional fire barrier for certain metal-faced laminated foam products. Check with your local building code/fire officials, and insurers for specific information on what is permitted in your area."
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