MODULE 5

The very general and indefinite nature

of these causes indicates that, in most cases,
LEARNING RESOURCES they are based on assumptions, rather than
on evidence.
Lesson 3.1 – FIRE INVESTIGATION
In this relation, the material or book
This chapter will point out the main will assist you in performing or conducting
features of the fire investigation. Fire investigation to determine the causes and
investigation is by nature the basis for fire origin of a fire.
prevention program. Only an in-depth
analysis of what sequences of events enable No matter how small, fire must
a fire to start, enabled it to spread, and how investigated. Fire investigations provide
and where it was controlled (e.g., firefighting, authorities with information needed to guide
structural design, lack of fuel) can help fire prevention educational programs, help fire
prevent future fires. Additionally, fire inspectors in spotting and eliminating new or
investigation includes the observations of previously overlooked hazards, and develop
everyone involved, and at the fires meaningful information for training fire
themselves there are many firefighters who protection personnel.
will able to shed light on the nature of the fire,
its progress, and so forth. As far as fire investigation is
concerned, they must defines as:
One of the most difficult problems to
solve is to determine the cause of the fire,  Cause – that which made the fire start;
since the flames generally consume any and
evidence of what occurred. This is the reason
 Reason – that which led to the cause
that the cause of most fires cannot be
of a fire (a motive leading to the
determined without a long and careful
action).
investigation.
Both cause and reason must be
Firefighters often make snap
established to satisfactorily complete a fire
judgements at the scene as to the cause of a
investigation. The “cause” explains the
fire, without an adequate evidence or
existence of fire, or the WHAT of
sufficient investigation on which to base their
investigation; while the “reason” establishes
decision. Apparently, there is hesitation on
the WHY of the fire and investigation. Both
the part of the firefighters to admit that they
are required to correctly classify the fire, and
do not really know the real cause of the fire,
also to provide guidance in establishing
since few fires (approximately 4% of those
corrective action to preclude a recurrence of
reported) are listed as “cause known.” Instead
the incident.
the fire is attributed to various causes without
apparent regard to actual evidence or lack of
it.
The importance of the establishment
of a fire cause is the knowledge of the
Some of the favorite causes listed by
physical aspects of fire.
firefighters, when they are not certain of the
actual cause, are faulty wiring, children
Four General Classes of Fire Causes
playing with matches, spontaneous
combustion, sparks from stove, burning
1. Natural Fire – fire caused naturally
rubbish, and careless disposal of smoking
without human intervention or aid,
materials.
such as lightning, spontaneous
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 ignition, mechanical malfunction of
equipment.
2. Accidental Fire – fire causes where
human action is involved directly or
indirectly. i.e. a). Careless disposal of
smoking materials; b). workers using
welding cutting equipment.
3. Arson – fire causes as a result of the
willful and criminal action of some
persons, i.e., incendiary fire.
4. Unknown Fire – fires which are not
classified as to cause.
Three General Classifications of Fire
1. Innocent fire – e.g. natural and
accidental causes
2. Incendiary fire – e.g. arson causes
3. Unknown fire – e.g. fire of unknown
causes.
Person/s Responsible to Examine and
Inspect the Fire Scene (American Settings)
Fire Marshall
Fire Chief
Assistant Chief for Technical Service
Fire Inspector responsible for the
specific building
Senior Fire Officer at the fire scene
Photographer
Utilities Personnel (particularly
electrician)
The first four individuals provide
technical experience for the investigation. The
Senior Fire Officer from the fire incident
present to explain what was observed during
the fire and to report on the mechanics or
what transpire during the extinguishment of
the fire.
Photographer provides complete
coverage, beginning with pictures during the
firefighting operation; including exterior,
interior, special features, circumstances and
the activities of the investigators at work.
Utilities personnel provide technical
assistance, particularly as to the condition of
electrical circuits and appliances.
Fire Investigation and Evidence Kit
Evidence kit provides equipment for
use in the investigation and for the
preservation of any evidence found at the
scene after that evidence has been
photograph in its original location.
 Special clothing such as: coverall,
gloves, boots used to protect uniform;
 Flashlight and electric lantern;
 Measuring tape and small ruler for
making measurements;
 Labels (gummed and stringed) used to
identify items;
 New or sterile glass jars with rubber
airtight seals used for collection of
samples;
 Envelopes, boxes, plastic bags, metal
cans used for the collection (assorted
sizes) used for collection of samples.
Basic Steps in a Fire Examination
 Search systematically – make a plan,
have in mind what you will look for, the
way you will look, and what you will do
with each item found and collected. Be
through, complete, and orderly
 Observe – Use your eyes, ears, nose,
and camera if possible to note the
conditions. Observe the fire and the
spectators.
 Take photograph – the camera
records more details than the naked
eye. Establish visual reference
through numerous photographs.
Photograph each area several times
during the various phases of
investigation. Infrared photography
may prove extremely valuable since it
is sensitive to differences in heat.
 Work by the Process of Elimination –
establish a checklist and check off
each item. Settle one item before
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 attempting another if possible. Avoid
backtracking.
 Check and Verify – Do not assume or
take for granted. Don’t jump to
conclusions.
 Take Note – write down all the details.
 Draw diagrams – amplify notes with
diagrams depicting locations of
incidents described.
Areas to Conduct Fire Investigation
Exterior – Determine where the fire vested
first by comparing burn char, smoke and heat
patterns around windows, doors and roof.
Look for the following:
 exterior points of origin;
 unusual burn patterns of
flammable liquid;
 Tools and Flammable liquid
containers;
 Footprints and scuff marks at
suspected points of entry;
Interior – Conduct a cursory examination or
general survey of the entire structure of
interior for the extent of fire damage.
Establish the class of the fire duration (brief or
long) and the approximate burn time by
checking the following:
 Window glass condition;
 Depth or wood char, at or in
close proximity to the point of
origin;
 Penetration of fire restrictive
wall coverings by fire;
 Electric clock that has been
stopped by fire damage.
 Note the time stopped and
compare with alarm time. The
time factors should
estimated and considered as
approximation only.
Steps on How to Determine the Point of
Origin
1. Examine the entire interior of the
building and determine which room or
areas has received the most severe
fire damage. Generally, this will be the
area where the fire burned extensively
or the longest and will very likely be
where it originated.
2. Determine the level or origin within the
room by examining and comparing the
bottom side of the tables, shelves, and
chairs.
3. Examine the ceiling and look for the
following patterns: a) fire penetration
and b) heaviest fire exposure.
4. Examine the light bulbs within the
room. The side of the bulbs which is
initially exposed to heat begin to swell
or bulge and lose shape at about 900
degrees F when exposed to heat for
10 minutes or more actually point to
the area of fire origin.
5. Examine walls within the room and
look for fire patterns or fire cones.
Fires generally burn upward and
outward, leaving corresponding fire
patters on wall as a result of heat
transfer through convection and
radiation. The steepness or reative
pitch of the angle seen on the fire
cone is indicative of the type of
burning e.g., Smoldering or Flaming.
Debris
Examine the fire debris and the floor in
the following manner:
 Conduct a detailed search of the
debris, examining it layer until the floor
is reached;
 Completely clean the floor on all
debris and char dust. The floor and
floor covering should be clean enough
to observe and photograph the
be
significant burn and char patterns and
should be dry.
 Carefully reconstruct and replace
furnishings and other articles in their
original positions by using burn
patterns and corresponding protected
areas. During fire progress, legs and
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 bases of furniture and other items on 6. Injuries and fatalities;
the floor will protect the floor, leaving 7. Time fire extinguished;
unburned marks which will aid in 8. Most probable cause;
repositioning. 9. Follow-up and corrective action
 Examine the floor coverings and floor required.
for significant patterns.
Types of Fire/Arson Investigation
Furnishings
Basic Investigation
Examine fire damaged furnishing such as:
Upholstered furniture couches, chairs, beds, Purposes:
etc.
1. To determine what property was
Two (2) General Types of Burn Pattern damage;
2. What the causes and reason were;
 Burn pattern that involves the surface 3. The number and extent of injuries or
burning of the item. This pattern is fatalities; and
indicative of the presence of a 4. The recommended corrective actions
smoldering source of ignition. to prevent recurrence.
Examination of supporting springs will
disclose that tension still exists. Technical Investigation
 Burn patterns involving deep
penetration of one portion with It is an in-depth investigation to
corresponding collapse of springs and determine more specific details of the cause
frame destruction. Spring collapse is and effect, and to establish necessary
caused when the heating process corrective action.
occurs over an extended length of
time, causing the springs to lose their Reasons in Conducting Technical
tension and collapses of their own Investigation
weight.
1. There is suspicious of arson on
Types of Furnishing connection with any fire;
 Upholstered furniture; 2. There is suspicious of negligence or
 Television sets and table radios; violation of regulations;
 Drapes and Curtain; 3. The cause of any fire is undetermined
(to establish the most probable
 Kitchen range
cause);
4. There is evidence of negligence or
Fire Report
mismanagement in the fire
suppression or rescue operation,
Fire reports of all fires, regardless of sizes,
5. Loss of life ore disabling as a result of
should be completed. This report should be
fire.
initiated and completed without delay. The
contents of the fire report may contain the
Arson Investigation
following information:
1. Time of incident;
The direct result of the basic or technical
2. Location of incident;
investigation or it may be brought about from
3. Size and nature of fire;
outside knowledge.
4. Fire involvement;
5. Fire department plant response;

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 Character Traits of Qualified Arson
Investigator
1. He should posses knowledge of
investigative techniques;
2. He should have an insight of human
behavior;
3. He should have a first-hand
knowledge of the chemistry of fire and
its behavior;
4. He should be resourceful.
Lesson 3.2 – PHOTOGRAPHING THE FIRE
SCENE
The use of photographs to document
much of the evidence and to support the
observations, opinions and conclusions the
investigators wish to make as to the cause of
the fire will support the investigator’s findings.
Photographs also provide evidence
which would counteract arguments of
alternative causes of the fire which might be
suggested at a later date. Photographs are
also useful for jogging the investigator’s
memory at the time of writing the report or
before appearing in court. Also in extremely
dark fire scene the photographs could provide
detail which may not be available using torch
light.
Photographs provide a pictorial
representation which is easily understood and
evaluated. In making a report, the investigator
should provide at least one or two
photographs wherever possible to support
each observation he/she wishes to present.
The photographs should be numbered and
captioned and referred to as “Photograph 1,
2, etc.”
A plan should also be made showing
the view angles of each photograph or
alternatively the photographs should be
presented in a sequence which will be provide
some type of continuity to allow the reader to
determine the view angle of each one.
Photographing the Exterior
Where to photograph and what to photograph
1. From all sides or at least to opposite
corners of the building to show the
overall degree of the fire damage and
the locations of the various entrance
and windows;
2. The location of the building to
neighboring buildings or firefighting
access areas;
3. Any object which may be material to
the circumstances of the fire;
4. Type of tracks, footprints and the
location of explosion debris and
photographed in close details, as well
as from a distance.
The exterior photographs generally
shows the nature and material of
construction and the location
of the doors, windows, chimneys, flues,
electricity fuse box or has meter. The
openings where the fire vented are usually
clearly shown in the exterior photographs.
Exterior burn patterns are generally easier to
interpret than the equivalent interior burn
pattern as they generally provide good color
and texture contrast, and are less affected by
smoke.
Panoramic views are valuable in
reports as they provide in great detail an
overall view of the scene. It can be produced
by joining together a sequence of
photographs or by using a wide angle lens or
a disposable camera equipped with a wide
angled lens.
Photographing the Interior
Photographs of the interior of a
building are generally more difficult for the
viewer to interpret than the exterior
photographs as the interior surfaces are
usually burnt and covered with a layer of soot.
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A good quality flash unit is essential as the
photographs need top provide as much detail
as possible to allow the investigators to
familiarized themselves with the nature of the
damage and possibly the identity and purpose
of the room before the fire.
Where to photograph and what to photograph
1. All rooms and areas inside the
building affected by the fire, the
photographs should be sequentially
presented in a report from the areas of
least damage to the areas of greatest
damage, or to the area of fire origin, if
this is not the area of greatest
damage.
2. The peripheral areas where the fire
had not originated;
3. The area of the fire origin should be
photograph before excavation will
commence and again photograph
should be taken during excavation, if
the process has yielded points of
interest;
4. At areas where an accelerant is
suspected, the areas of localized
damage to the floor as well as the
overhead damage should be
photograph.
5. The burn patterns at doorways should
be photograph to show the spread of
the fire between rooms. The burn
patterns on the wall in hallways
normally show the room from which
the fire originated and the direction of
spread of the fire;
6. Appliances suspected of causing the
fire should be photographed from a
distance and in close up in the
location where they were found. The
remains should be taken outside to
allow closer inspection and be
photographed in sunlight or later at the
laboratory.
Points of Entry and Security of Building
Fire brigade personnel will usually
give an account of the security of a building
as they found it. In many cases their accounts
will need to be verified at each point of entry
by an inspection of the burn patterns and soot
deposits to surface around the point of entry,
and an examination for tool marks.
Where to Photograph and what to Photograph
1. The doors should be first photograph
in the position in which they were
found. If the door was found closed
then both sides of the door should be
photograph.
2. The burn patterns and soot deposits
around the door and the door frame
should be photograph as they
normally ascertain the position of the
door at the time of the fire;
3. Any parts of the door or lock which
may have been dislodged as a result
of some type of forced entry should be
photograph at the location where they
were found and later reconstructed at
their original position.
On Windows
1. The position at the time of the fire
should also be determined and the
evidence used for such an evaluation
should be photograph.
2. The position of the window frame in
the case of a sliding aluminum
window;
3. The position of the falling glass could
both indicate the position of the
window at the time of the fire;
4. The smoke and heat patterns above a
window can also indicate the position
of the window at the time of the fire
should also be photographed.
Importance of Photography in Arson
Investigation
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 Without evidence, arrest and
prosecution of an arsonist is extremely
difficult. Photography is an effective tool in
recording and preserving the evidence of the
set fires. Much of the actual evidence may be
destroyed during firefighting, or it is survives
the fire, it may be impossible to preserve.

Every effort should be made to

photograph the scene of a fire whether or not
arson is suspected, before it is disturbed by
other operations. Pictures may be used to
prove the intent to commit arson.
Photography in Arson Investigation:

1. Show the areas in which the fire

started or was set.
2. Help identify spectators. An arsonist
often remains to watch the fire.
3. Provide information about the speed
of combustion and direction of
spreading.
4. Show the progressive stages of
burning and firefighting from various
angles. If possible keep a record of
the time each picture was taken.
5. Help investigators determine the type
of material/s burning. This is where
the use of color film is recommended.
The steam, color, and quantity of
smoke and the color and size of
flames are indications of what type of
material is burning. The color of
smoke often indicates whether an
accelerant, such as gas, was used to
speed the burning process.
6. Give particular attention to the most
burned charred area. The structure
should be photographed form all sides or
angles to show the damaged areas. Other
things to look for are incendiary devices
and combustible materials, such as
matchbox/es, paper, liquids (such as gas
and paint thinner), and fuses. Although
they may have burned completely, there
could be visible trail, defective wiring and
electrical or gas appliances that may have
been the cause of the fire.

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