This is the first time I have compiled an original puzzle, so any feedback, good or bad would be welcome.
A spy strikes a parrot and a conflagration ensues. How does this happen.

This might help. Both the parrot and the spy are fictional.

I'm guessing that by writing a sentence to say "Spy strikes parrot", we will end up with a word that means "a large, uncontrollable fire"

The only spy I can think of is James Bond, and "bonfire" starts with the same three letters as "bond", however, that is as far as I can get.

The only fictional parrots I can think of are Long John Solver's parrot (I think that was called Polly), Polynesia (Dr Dolittle) and Iago (Aladdin)/ Nowhere closer to solving it though...

Stephen you are almost half way there with the parrot, and if you can find its correct name (it's not Polly), things will probably fall into place. The spy is not British but American.
Also the spy and the parrot are the catalyst for the fire, not the name for it. Maybe using the word conflagration was a chance for me to use a big word as the parrot and the spy could produce almost any type of non specific fire. By the way was Long John Solver a Freudian slip?

Aaah - the parrot is called "Captain Flint". Flint was used to create sparks to start a fire. So I guess that the spy is called somthing like "Tinder"?

Pierce Brosnan protrayed both James Bond and
Remington Steele. I suppose every detective
does a bit of "spying."

There's also our man from Z.O.W.I.E, but I
don't think you can get fire from flint alone...

Stephen you have got the first part right and the second part is staring you straight in the face. Without quite realising it, stanalger has solved the puzzle, all I need is a name, as not everyone will be familiar with Z.O.W.I.E. By the way stan (hope you don't mind the familiarity), although not easy, I believe you can get sparks from flint alone. Also would anyone care to tell me how I could have made this puzzle better, as being a virgin compiler I need all the advice I can get.

I did a little search and found that Z.O.W.I.E. was the organisation from Our Man Flint. Presumably flint striking flint produces the sparks that causes the fire.

You strike flint against steel to get fire ... not sure yet where the parrot comes in ...

You hit a bird fast enough with a car, you get a conflagration anyway. Even more so with a plane.

Both the spy and the parrot are Flint.

I think that's the intended answer.

Flint against flint MAY produce sparks (I've never been
a Boy Scout and am not sure about this), but I think
flint must be struck against steel in order to produce
a hot enough spark to ignite kindling:

http://www.ragweedforge.com/striking.html

Stan you may well be right about the flint, I am doing this from youthful memories. Next time I set a puzzle I'll make sure there can be no confusion. Both yourself and Stephen are correct in your answers.

Flint against flint usually begets chips.

"My" answer was merely an elaboration on Stephen's.
Once he came up with Flint, the game was pretty much over.

I didn't know flint AND steel were required to make a fire.
I learned that after googling "flint" after Stephen
gave the parrot's name.

I thought Steel was a transtemporal agent.