Dibromodifluoromethane, CF2Br2, mixed with oxygen atoms was irradiated with an ArF (193 nm) laser. Difluoromethylene, CF2(($) over tilde X(1)A(1), v(1)v(2)v(3) = 000 and v(1)v(2)v(3) = 010) was detected with laser-induced fluorescence via ($) over tilde A(1)B(1) <-- ($) over tilde X(1)A(1) 020-000 and 030-010 transitions. Rate constants for the reactions CF2 (($) over tilde X(1)A(1), v(2) = 0 and 1) + O have been determined to be [1.63 +/- 0.3(2 sigma)] x 10(-11) and [1.44 +/- 0.3(2 sigma)] x 10(-11) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1) at 294 +/- 1 K, respectively. No distinct effect of vibrational excitation on the reaction can be rationalized on the basis of theoretical calculation. The rate constant for vibrational relaxation, CF2(($) over tilde X(1)A(1), v(2) = 1) + He --> CF2(($) over tilde X(1)A(1), v(2) = 0) + He, was also found to be [1.0 +/- 0.3(2 sigma)] x 10(-13) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1), which is smaller than that in the electronically excited state CF2(($) over tilde A(1)B(1), v(2) = 1 --> v(2) = 0) by an order of magnitude.