FIRE & ARSON

Written by Dr. Mukesh Sharma & Dr. Ajay Sharma

FORENSIC SCIENCE IS A DIVERSE, interdisciplinary field that is

rapidly
expanding in terms of public interest and importance in the
administration of
justice. The word arson comes from the Latin ardere,
meaning “to burn.” The
willful setting of fires has been a recognized crime for
thousands of years. This
report takes a look at utilizing fire scene evidence when
solving arson and fire
crimes.

Fire investigation
can be performed in two stages. The first involves examination of the
fire
scene to determine the cause of the fire, its origin, and the development/spread
of the
fire. The second stage involves laboratory analysis of samples recovered
from a fire scene,
normally when arson is suspected1,2.
This article is
divided into two sections: The first part deals with the basic methodology
which is to be adopted during the investigation of a fire; and the second part
features a case
study with photographs. The purpose of this report is to give a
brief and relatively
simplistic approach to the investigation of fire/arson
cases.

Methodology

The investigation
of fires or arson is an act as well as a science. The gathering of factual
information, as well as the analysis of those facts, must be accomplished
objectively and
truthfully. The systematic approach recommended follows the
scientific method used in the
physical sciences3. The flow chart
shown below (Figure 1), which is a result of thorough
study of the
reference literature4,5, is developed to assist the investigator in
examining the
fire crime scene in five steps. These are explained as:

Step 1

Theoretical analysis, or “case study”

The investigator should have knowledge of fire

dynamics, and understand which factors
aid in the development and spread of a
fire.

Step 2

Fire scene examination and information collection

The crime scene investigator (CSI) makes observations

at the crime scene for details such
as char pattern, color of smoke, color of
flame, and residue parts.

Step 3

Information summary, induction, and analysis

Inductive reasoning with all of the

collected and observed information should be done in a
defined manner.

Step 4

Develop hypothesis and verify

On the basis of the data analysis, the CSI

should develop a hypothesis to explain the origin
and cause of fire, and then test
the hypothesis. In other words, make assumptions and then
verify.

Step 5

Final report or opinion

All the collected and observed information and

evidence are forwarded for laboratory
examination. This will contribute to the
conclusive report about the occurrence at the
scene.

Figure 1: Flow chart for analyzing a fire/arson investigation. Amended form of earlier publications6.

Case Study

A police chowki (Editor's Note: a chowki is a sub police

station) in Bharatpur, Rajasthan,
India was found burned due to unknown
reasons, and the investigating agency suspected
that the police official
appointed at the chowki was misguiding the investigation. The
authors visited
the site in order to provide direction to the investigating agency; offer
guidance for the laboratory examination of the debris and wires; and offer a
final opinion in
the case.

Observations

1) Images 1 – 4
show the burned cabin of the chowki and an area of burned grass outside
the
cabin; a melted bedframe; and other charred material. Inside the chowki, the
whole
room was heat-affected, and some firearms were also found completely burned.
These
burned firearms and ammunition contributed to some confusion during the
initial
investigation. The area where the radio was installed was completely heat-affected
and
burned.

Image 1
Image 2

Image 3
Image 4

Images 1 – 4: Interior and exterior of the chowki

2) The switch of the

radio was found completely melted and burned, which verified the
level of heat
during fire.
Image 5—Melted switch inside the chowki

3) After
thoroughly searching the nearby area, one aluminum pot generally used for boiling
water and preparing tea was found. It was melted from the bottom, with a
pattern of
circular lines.

Image 6—Near the chowki area, a melted aluminum pot was found.

4) In the charred
grass and nearby burned material, we found two heating plates, generally
used
for boiling water and tea preparation. One plate was intact with its copper
wire. The
second plate was found broken, with some foreign material melted and
adhered to the
copper. We concluded that the heating
plate, used to heat the empty aluminum pan, caused
the bottom of the aluminum
pan to melt. The melted aluminum dripped onto the coil on the
heating plate,
causing a short-circuit and fire.

Image 7

Image 8

Images 7 – 8: Copper-based heating coils. The first copper coil was intact. The other
one
was damaged, along with some foreign material adhered to it.

5) The heating coil

was connected to the main power supply with aluminum wire. These
connected
wires were found melted not far from the location of the heating coil. Globules
were also observed on the aluminum wire.

Image 9—Globules can be seen on the aluminum connecting wire, which was used to connect the coil to
the power supply.

Results

Our investigation proved the burned police chowki was the result of a fire,
due to
negligence, and not the result of arson or any type of explosion. The
composition of the
aluminum pan, the aluminum pan collected on the heating
plate, and the aluminum wire on
the heating plate were compared using chemical
testing, specific gravity, and impurity tests
(trace element analysis). To
properly analyze elemental composition testing, X-ray
fluorescence (XRF) is
suggested. On the basis of the observations in the laboratory, we
concluded
that the aluminum pan and melted materials are similar. Through the forensic
investigation, the case was solved. As a result of the authors’ report, three
staff of the
police chowki were suspended for negligence while on duty.

Discussion

In some cases of fire, external heating involves

the wire or wired device as the “victim” of
fire, and not as the initiator of
fire. But some situations do exist where external heating of
wiring serves as
the initiating event. In many cases, arcing occurs after sufficient
overheating. The NFPA 921: Guide for Fire and Explosion Investigations
(2004)7, provides
photographic examples of wires with parting
arcs, but it includes no metallurgical
investigation. A parting arc, in this
case, would have occurred after the fire had started, as
the hot, energized
wire was pulled apart. The arc was not considered to be the cause of the
fire
because of its short duration, but it was evidence for flowing current.

Careful examination of the insulation tells the

truth of internal or external heating of the
metallic conductor. Experiments
were conducted in our laboratory to study the effects of
heat on insulation. The
melting point of the aluminum pot is quite high. We also ruled out
the
possibility of explosion and burning due to the firearms or ammunition, on
the basis of
our finding that the initiation of the fire was from the outside,
and only after being exposed
to heat did the ammunition kept in the police chowki actually burn.

Conclusion

In 1974, the
author of a textbook on electrical insulation8 wrote: “The
fundamental
breakdown processes are not understood; not for lack of
experimental observations but
because our background knowledge is too crude.”
Unfortunately, even today this statement
remains true with regards to wiring
and wired devices in buildings.

In the case
described here, on the basis of observations made at the scene and the
condition
of the electrical wiring, the cause of the fire was an electric spark9
in the copper heating
plate as it was being used to make tea.

Summary

During an investigation
to determine the origin and cause of fire, evidence may be
uncovered that
indicates the fire was started due to an electric spark. These fires are often
the result of natural curiosity and experimentation, while some are willfully
and
maliciously set for a variety of reasons. All fire incidents are different.
But utilizing the
methodology described here, CSIs can work toward
reconstructing a fire/arson
investigation.

About The Authors

Dr. Mukesh Sharma is the Assistant Director of

the Physics Division of the State
Forensic Science Lab in Jaipur, Rajasthan, India, where he has
visited 623 crime
scenes and reported 600 cases. He is a qualified expert in
physics (M.S.), material
science (Ph.D.), and psychology (M.S), with 12 years of experience in the field of
forensic science and crime scene investigation. He has been awarded many times
at the national and international level. He has published more than 135
research
articles and eight books in various fields of physics and forensic
sciences.

Dr. Ajay Sharma (M.S., Ph.D.) is posted as

Additional Director and holds the
position of Director of the State Forensic
Science Laboratory in Jaipur, Rajasthan,
India. He has 30
years’ experience in the field of forensic science. He has
examined about 10,000
cases, and has been awarded best paper presentation at
conferences organized by
Ministry of Home Affairs, India in 2005, 2007, and 2009.

References

1. Kirk, P. 1974. Fire
Investigation (2nd Ed). New York: John Wiley & Sons; also, Béland,
B. 1984. Electrical damages—cause or consequence? J. Forensic Sciences. 29:747–61.

2. NFPA 921:
Basic Methodology in Fire and Explosion Investigations. 1992. Boston; also,
NFPA 921: Guide for Fire and Explosion Investigations. 2001. Quincy, MA.

3. Fire in the
United States, 1985-1994 (9th Ed.). 1997. Emmitsburg, MD: U.S.
Fire
Administration.

4. DeHaan, J. 1991. Kirk's Fire Investigation.

London: Prentice-Hall.

5. Phillips, C., and D. McFadeen. 1982. Investigating

the Fireground. London: Prentice-
Hall.

6. Dixit R., S. Jangir, P. Gupta, and M. Sharma. 2016. Unknowingly

accident of fire: An
expensive omission. J. Forensic Res. 6(314). doi: 10.4172/2157-7145.1000314

7. NFPA 921: Guide

for Fire and Explosion Investigations. 2001. Quincy, MA.

8. Sillars, R.W. 1974.

Electrical Insulating Materials and Their
Application. London:
Peter
Peregrinus.

9. Please refer to
Photos 1 – 9.