These examinations often have been extremely important and conclusive, particularly in investigations involving arson on both federal and nonfederal properties, espionage, burglary and breaking and entering, as well as in at least one prison escape case. This paper will delineate the basic conditions of identifying torn burned matches with a matchbook, and in particular a method whereby positive identifications can be effected entirely by what will be referred to as crosscut and torn fiber comparisons. It will describe two elements of comparison that, to the author's knowledge, have not been previously used in torn match identifications. These elements require high magnification examinations of crosscut and torn fibers and foreign bodies embedded in the paper matrix, called inclusions, which, when properly interpreted, will allow positive identifications where other elements of comparison are inconclusive. This method in theory is basically a simple side-by-side comparison procedure, as are most all other crime laboratories comparisons. However, in practice, it is a very painstaking, time-consuming, and difficult comparison method, requiring extreme caution. (Author abstract)