Abstract: A tensioned fire damper assembly and method are disclosed. The assembly includes a damper tensioning frame for tensionably mounting a fire damper within a duct or other mounting aperture, thereby allowing substantially unrestricted thermal damper expansion into an expansion gap located between the aperture and the tensioning frame. Screw type tensioning fasteners can be employed to tensionably mount the frame, and the degree of frame tension can be regulated by using tensioning fastener bushings which limit the threadable movement of the fasteners. Additional embodiments are disclosed in which multiple dampers can be accommodated in a tensionable frame.