A model of softening of fired zonal fluxed pellets is suggested, which is based on the appearance, upon cooling, of stresses at the boundaries of zones with different temperatures of crystallization of slag inclusions. Calculations of the stressed state were performed for Kachkanar pellets with different locations of hematite and magnetite zones. Ways for increasing the strength of pellets are suggested. Copyright © 2002 by MAIK "Nauka/ Interperiodica".