I worked as an fire engineer/sparky, for a lot of years, as a day job - in a previous life.
{Yeh I've done lot of things whilst being in theatre - except window cleaning!}
sorry if my comments might upset a lot of mise en scene articaphers & others?
I know theatre has to be one of the most dangerious places there is, by it's nature, & we do it in the dark.
We don't have as many accidents & disasters as we  should have, especialy in ameatres, considering the attitude of a lot of grops & individual chancers working in it.
I doubt it is some mythical patron saint or other, looking after us? But more we tend to idiot check, unknowingly, even with a lack of experiance or just plain dumb lucky in most cases?
But it does get right up my nose, when the powers that be in theatre groups & venues. wave off or cover up. Warnings of potental dangers & hide near accident situations that pop up from time to time.
 

Articapher = Articifer-grapher
Ameatre   = Amature Theatre
Comeatre = community Theatre
Gymeatre  = Gym / Theatre
[Theanasium]
Theatorium= Theatre / Auditorium
Just a play about with words.

with the Dow Blue Styrofoam the only difference besides it being a dence poly structure, it has a higher melting piont & yes it will ignite with direct flame.
with buildings & heat/cold insulation the material it great & is recomened for it to be encapsulated, primarily to guard against mechanical damage & naked flames.
In a lot of cases they use aluminium as the protective sheeting. In it's self this is fine, but the Ali metal does burn well, as is seen in Airoplane fires.
Again it is all cost driven, especialy in the building industry. Which was proved by the twin towers, melting core steal structure, as aposed to the concrete core method of high rise building.
I'm far from being a fire expert, as I was only a fire electrician { I was going to say a 'Fire Sparky'?]
But any of these petroleum poly products are just fire fuel in it's sold form.
{Off toic again!]
I remember going toe to toe with a coffee Machine Companies Chief Engineer for many months. Over his insistance that the ABS plastic used for the body of the machine, was fire proof &/or retardant.
The argument got down to the molecular migration structure of the surface area & beyond.
It wasn't settled untill I jumped on a plane & fronted him up at his office. After pleasantries were exchanged & we stat down with a cup of coffee. I produced a piece of ABS plastic from a machine cover plate, out my pocket. With a cigarette lighter I set fire to it & chucked the burning plastic in an ashtray on his desk. He stood up with his mouth wide open in amazement. I suggested he close his gob because of the toxic fumes & placed the coffee cup & saucer over the ashtray & smothered it.
feeling quite chuffed, I thanked him, & then headed for the aurport & leave the State for home.
I paid for my escapade latter with the reams of data reports from his office. The main thrust of them was the fact I had applied direct flame & this would not happen in nornal circustances?
I just sent a letter advising if he could make arangements to have a machine available. I could be there in less than two days to conduct a demonstration?
I never heard from him & no further corespondence was entertered into, even though my family is a sept of his Clan!
I didn't try to be a smart arse? but it all came about because we had a fire investigation report. which sited this particular model of beverage machine, as the  fire source, resulted in a fire at a factory office in a suburb of the City.
I did note they changed the wording of thier promotional material about the MacHines from then on.
[Back on topic]
So yes I'd say the blue stuff is 'dangerous only when lit by fire'.
I must try & get some 'blue stuff' & see how it reacts!
 

Just think back Patrick'-
'What did we do before styrofoam'
Which is probably as difficult a question as;-
'What did we do before gaffer tape'

I don't really think purely flammable is the issue.  Styro as a petroleum product may be an accelerant, and almost more importantly, it gives off toxic fumes when burnt.  (Not that I believe woodsmoke is somehow healthy, but it's not the same thing).  I'm sure there is no "perfect answer", and just walking outside can be hazardous to your health - you could get hit by a run away bus -  but it is important to prioritize our hazards and avoid the ones we realistically can.  To each his own...but I plan to avoid using styrofoam at the theatre...and handily enough, I set our theatre policies!

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