In AD&D or maybe the SRD it stars that torches burn for an hour and that a pint of oil will burn in a lantern for 6 hours. Is there a rule in C&C? If there is, I cannot find it.

Not in the rules as I recall.

viewtopic.php?f=8&t=17072&hilit=torch+duration

I deleted my post there, but I have a rule that torches burn for 1 hour and illuminate 45 - 120 feet, depending on condition and material.

The CKG actually warns against tracking wear and tear on individual pieces of equipment as not worth the effort; the chart on pg. 182 could be used I suppose but it doesn't differentiate lighting from other gear. The C&C PHB doesn't offer any equipment descriptions, where this info would usually be (I'm trying to figure out what a 'zither' could be!).

Considering how much time adventurers spend underground, I don't think it's a nothing issue. Even in AD&D days, I wondered how to determine when a light source is snuffed (due to weather, an ambush, etc.) but that's so conditional it's best judged at the table.

C&C is a "rules light" system. Many things are left to the CK's discretion / common sense.

A Zither

Any time I want a rule I can't find in C&C I just look it up in the 3E SRD. Such as another relatively common question, how do magical armor bonus' stack? I use the 3E way, which pretty much goes all the way back to 1E AD&D. Aside from the new terms 3E came up with, such as a Luck bonus, and Natural Armor, both terms C&C uses too.

Yeah, doing word searches on the internet has yet to fail me.

I did break down and google zither; still, a little surprising that such a relatively obscure (and impractical) thing would show up in a generic equipment list!

The 3e SRD is a good idea.

Looking back at D&D:

In original D&D (1974) no burning times were given, however the D&D Basic Set (1977, "Holmes") gives a burning time of 1 hour per torch, 4 hours per flask of oil for lanterns. This stays the same in each edition of D&D, including the original edition of AD&D. It wasn't until AD&D 2nd Edition that we see lanterns that have a burning time of 6 hours.

simple rule be a dwarf or a half orc or suffer under ground.. it will always go dark unless you prepare well, have magic or long lasting light, but it will fail when you least expect it or most need it!

To paraphrase J.M. Stracynski: It burns at the rate of plot.

Or in my experience, until the party starts to use continual flame

nice!