Current forest fire models are largely empirical correlations based on data from beds of dead vegetation. Improvement in model capabilities is sought by developing models of the combustion of live fuels. A facility was developed to determine the combustion behavior of small samples of live fuels, consisting of a flat-flame burner on a moveable platform and a horizontal balance. Qualitative and quantitative combustion data are presented for representative samples of California chaparral (manzanita, scrub oak, hoaryleaf ceanothus, and chamise). Ignition temperature data for each sample type followed a bell shape curve, whereas time to ignition data varied based on the sample non-uniformity.