A lithium combustion model (LITFIRE) was developed to describe the physical and chemical processes which occur during a hypothetical lithium spill and fire. The model was used to study the effectiveness of various design strategies for mitigating the consequences of lithium fire, using the UWMAK-III features as a reference design. Calculations show that without any special fire protection measures, the containment may reach pressures of up to 32 psig when one coolant loop is spilled inside the reactor building. Temperatures as high as 2000/sup 0/F would also be experienced by some of the containment structures. These consequences were found to diminish greatly by the incorporation of a number of design strategies including initially subatmospheric containment pressures, enhanced structural surface heat removal capability, initially low oxygen concentrations, and active post-accident cooling of the containment gas. The EBTR modular design was found to limit the consequences of a lithium spill, and hence offers a potential safety advantage. Calculations of the maximum flame temperature resulting from lithium fire indicate that none of the radioactive first wall materials under consideration would vaporize, and only a few could possibly melt.