Glossary · fire-test
GLOSSARY
Fire test
A test that feeds a guard known bad input through the deployed production path and watches it turn that exact check row red. A check nobody has watched fail is a comment with a runtime cost. Passing on good input proves the guard runs; only a captured red run proves it can stop anything.
Principle 6 · Test that a check fires, not that it exists
Where does Fire test come from?
Principle 6 of the Kymira doctrine, Test that a check fires, not that it exists. Fire test is the name the doctrine gives to what that principle requires in practice.
What failure is Fire test named after?
The verify script that silently did nothing. The agent wrote itself a verification script; it no-op'd; everything passed. The wrong numbers it blessed were headed for an executive deck.
What does it look like on a real file?
Feed the anchor check a file whose stated total is off by a cent, and watch that exact row render red in the shipped report.
Not for
Not proof the guard is the right guard. A fire test shows the check can fail; it says nothing about whether it checks the right property.
Nearest terms
Last updated 2026-09-02 · Dylan, founder · one of 40 terms in the Kymira glossary, each one named after something we watched go wrong in a real build or in our own audits.