A 1998 national survey of forensic science laboratories found that an ignitable liquid reference collection and database were the most important needs in the fire debris analysis field. In August 1999, the Technical Working Group for Fire and Explosions (TWGFEX) expressed an interest in meeting this need. It defined the objectives for the project to be the establishment and maintenance of a comprehensive, single source for ignitable liquids and a comprehensive gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) database for ignitable liquids. The Ignitable Liquid Reference Collection Committee (ILRCC) was established to provide oversight for the database and repository. The ILRCC's aim was to have a single laboratory produce and disseminate data on the ignitable liquids that might be found in fire debris. As of November 2005, the database contained 370 reference samples, with an additional 45 to be added. Future efforts are projected to include the establishment of a pyrolysis product reference database. The pyrolysis database will include 100 to 150 materials and substrate material combinations. An ignitable liquid microbial degradation database has also been considered for initiation after the pyrolysis database is in place. 3 references and appended ILRCC membership and analytical protocols for the Ignitable Liquids Reference Collection