The ignition and extinction of CO-flame over a carbon rod in an oxidizing, stagnation-flow environment is studied theoretically and experimetally. In the theoretical phase, by considering the surface C-O2and C-CO2reactions and the gas-phase CO-O2reaction, explicit ignition and extinction criteria are derived by using generalized species-enthalpy coupling functions. In the experimental phase, the ignition and extinction states are determined as functions of the surface temperature or the burning carbon rod, and the oxygen concentration and velocity gradient of the flow. Fair agreement exists between the experimental data and theoretical calculations obtained by using a restrictive set of kinetic and thermophysical parameters.