Atmospheric Combustion

I'm trying to devise a planet where the atmosphere can sustainably combust in certain conditions. However, this planet must be able to support human life when the atmosphere is not undergoing a combustion reaction. Another assumption is that the inhabitants have the technological capability or other means to survive on this planet whether the atmosphere is combusting or not.

From chemistry courses of old, I know that a combustion reaction has the general form $C_xH_y + O_2 \longrightarrow CO_2 + H_2O$. So for this planet to be able to continually combust while sustaining atmosphere it must either produce or be supplied more reactants (hydrocarbons). This is where human society could possibly contribute to this scenario by producing gases such as carbon monoxide.

Additional research has yielded that a gas such as carbon monoxide has an auto-ignition temperature of 609 degrees Celsius. The only idea I had for the atmospheric temperature being raised this high temporarily is that the planet passes very close to its sun at a certain point in its orbit. I was hoping this would be a valid situation for creating temporary firestorms.

To summarize, what are feasible conditions to create atmospheric combustion, and what scientific holes can be poked in this hypothetical situation?

posted over 8 years ago

Enigmatic Cipher‭

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