A freshly applied oil-based stain may make the deck more flammable for a short period of time while the oil solvent evaporates. This increase in flammability would not extend over the service life of the stain. Testing of a stain applied on exterior fire-retardant decking showed that its fire resistance wasn't diminished by the stain. You should be cautious about claims that stains or coatings will protect your deck from wildfire. Some stains and coatings are available that will improve performance in the short term, but they haven't been shown to weather well, and so any enhanced performance would only be temporary.

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