Most of the fire victims die or are affected by smoke rather than by flames and the resulting burns. Asphyxia is the principal mechanism of the intoxication, mediated by oxygen deprivation, carbon monoxyde inhalation and sometimes even by hydrocyanic acid inhalation. The other major mechanism is the inhalation of soot and irritating products of combustion. In this paper we review the mechanisms of smoke inhalation resulting from the combustion of some materials present in the modern building, such as mineral fibres, rigid polyurethane, polystyrene and cellulose fibres.