A high organic concurrent decoating kiln includes a low-oxygen zone and a high-oxygen zone. The disclosed kiln allows a gas low in free oxygen to be used in the initial stages of decoating, while a gas higher in free oxygen can be used in the final stages. The total amount of free oxygen used throughout the kiln, in particular at the upstream portion of the kiln, is kept low. Exhaust gas can be recirculated for use in a burner-fired chamber that provides the initial low-oxygen gas to the kiln.

An apparatus for removing a coating from a lengthwise section of an optical fiber includes a heater at least partially defining an elongate heating region configured for receiving the lengthwise section of the optical fiber, wherein the heater is configured for heating the heating region to a temperature above a thermal decomposition temperature of the at least one coating; a sensor configured for providing a signal indicative of explosive removal of the at least one coating from the lengthwise section of the optical fiber; and at least one device operatively associated with the sensor and the heater for receiving and processing the at least one signal from the sensor, and deactivating the heater. The at least one device may be configured for determining how much time passes between occurrence of the heater being deactivated and the at least one coating being removed from the lengthwise section of the optical fiber.