An atmospheric-pressure laser-induced chemical vapor deposition (CVD) reactor has been developed that is capable of continuously depositing carbon protective films on moving optical fibers from several hydrocarbon precursors. The relationship between operating parameters and the carbon deposition temperature was investigated experimentally and the results indicate that they are highly dependent on the laser power density and the fiber’s drawing velocity. A computational heat transfer model was developed to calculate the fiber surface temperature during deposition and to provide a deeper understanding of the fundamental principles that govern laser heating and the carbon CVD processes. The surface temperatures obtained from experiments are compared with the calculated temperature in order to validate the numerical model.