As indicated in the film, the Apollo I fire was caused by abrasion of some of the Teflon insulation from a wire. Unlike what is shown, the spark actually happened in a location out of sight. Even though oxygen is not flammable, a 100% oxygen atmosphere makes combustion extremely easy, even making aluminum flammable. Also, a great deal of Velcro-lined various surfaces within the spacecraft, as it was useful for restraining pens and other small items in a zero-g environment, such as is seen on the egress wrench. When under extreme pressure and heat in an all-oxygen environment, Velcro can burst into flame. The combination of arcing circuit, heat, and pressure of the oxygen caused the materials inside the capsule to ignite. As for the hatch, due to the malfunctioning explosive hatch bolts in Gus Grissom's Mercury flight, the hatch for the Apollo I was designed to maintain pressure. In order to open it, Edward H. White II had to reach a lever above his head and pump it several times, after which the hatch would pull inwards and then swing out, somewhat like the doors of an airliner. If not for the Mercury malfunction, the Apollo I hatch would have had explosive bolts, in which case it is possible that at least one of the crew might have survived. An embarrassing discovery in the aftermath was that of a wrench that had been misplaced during capsule assembly and was found behind a sealed panel. While the wrench had nothing to do with the fire, it indicated a degree of carelessness in the assembly of the spacecraft.

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