Filing a petition for a writ of certiorari to the U.S. Supreme Court does not automatically stay the mandate. Nonetheless, certiorari petitions are a common basis for asking an appellate court to issue a stay. Rule 41 expressly contemplates such motions.
The Fire Triangle. Three things are required in proper combination before ignition and combustion can take place---Heat, Oxygen and Fuel. There must be Fuel to burn. There must be Air to supply oxygen. There must be Heat (ignition temperature) to start and continue the combustion process.
The stronger the bonds in the material, the harder it is to get the fuel into the gas phase and the larger the activation energy. When we use a heat source to ignite a fire, we're suppling the energy needed to overcome the activation energy to start the combustion process.