FIRE INVESTIGATION: AFTER ESTABLISHING THE AREA OF ORIGIN
Once the area of a fire’s origin has been established, investigators should do the following:
Eliminate all accidental possibilities. This is where professional expertise is helpful.
The fire cause should be declared undetermined if after doing the following the investigators are not totally convinced of the cause of the fire.
- Collecting the factual evidence at the scene.
- Obtaining opinions from professional experts such as electricians, chemical engineers, and the police crime detection laboratory.
- Speaking with the first-in firefighters.
- Speaking with the occupant or owner (statement before scene examination).
- If the investigators are totally convinced of what caused the fire, then the fire is classified as accidental (negligent) or incendiary. It cannot be some of each.
- If the cause is determined to be accidental, the appropriate people should be notified.
- If the fire’s origin is determined to be incendiary, investigators must do the following:
- Inform the appropriate authority.
- Prepare a detailed report immediately and not wait until an arrest has been made.
- Prepare photographs in the same order in which the scene examination was conducted. The photographs should show all sides of the exterior, the debris before the examination, and the area of origin after the examination. They also should depict the bum patterns of flammable fuel, if any. The photographs should back up the investigator’s opinion report.
THE FIRE SCENE
Investigating at the fire scene involves the following:
- Acquiring the authority to enter the scene and obtaining a search warrant.
- Reexamining the scene.
- Not presuming anything relative to the cause of the fire.
- Ensuring continuity of the fire scene.
- Photographing the fire scene before and during the examination.
- Having qualified experts available to assist you in making a decision.
RESPONSIBILITIES OF AN EXPERT WITNESS
Among the primary responsibilities of expert witnesses are the following:
- To observe and examine. To be constantly aware that a person’s life, welfare, and family stability may depend on the investigators’ decisions.
- To obey the three cardinal rules prior to and during the fire scene examination:
- Take nothing for granted. Do not assume that a certain thing has happened or that a certain person was not at the scene. Ask questions and receive the proper answers.
- Do not jump to conclusions. The old saying “haste makes w’aste” bears out the fact that there is no shortcut to a good examination. Don’t substitute theory for facts.
- Keep an open mind. Consider that there are two sides to every issue. Looking at only one side of the picture can cause investigators to miss the very thing for which they are looking. The attitude should not be: “My mind is made up; don’t confuse me with the facts.” A thorough examination may turn up a case of arson where at first the fire was thought to be of accidental origin.
