Fire resistant hydraulic fluid compositions comprising (a) one or more esters of polyhaloaromatic acids per se or in combination with (b) one or more hydraulic fluids independently selected from mineral oil, poly- alpha -olefins, alkylated aromatics, cycloaliphatics, esters of dibasic acids, polyol esters, polyglycols, silicones, silicate esters, phosphate esters, and halogenated compositions other than (a); a method for imparting fire resistant properties to known hydraulic fluids by adding one or more esters of polyhaloaromatic acids alone or combined; and the use of the inventive compositions as fire resistant hydraulic fluids. The fire resistant compositions may, optionally, contain one or more shear-stable polymers which have been found to increase the fire resistance of the hydraulic fluid composition.