INVESTIGATING AUTOMOBILE FIRES
TRAINING NOTEBOOK
Your department is responsible for determining the cause of a recent automobile fire. You have no full-time investigator on staff and must rely on the volunteer or company officer to determine the cause. How would your department proceed?
Breaking the investigation down into phases can help determine whether the fire was set deliberately or began accidentally. The National Automobile Theft Bureau suggests that the investigation be done in five phases: exterior, interior, engine compartment, fuel system, and electrical system.
As in the case of a structural fire, the first step is to locate the site of the fire’s origin. After the fire has been extinguished, begin the investigation as follows:
- Exterior. What is the location of the burning car? Is it at an intersection? On a busy street? Or is it abandoned on a rural road, a seldom-used farm or access, or an abandoned gravel pit? The indicator (a finding that
- appears to be outside the normal mode) here is the car’s location. People who steal or defraud the insurance company generally choose to burn the vehicle in rural or secluded areas. But, of course, such a fire could be set on a city street as well.
Walk around the vehicle. Take a good look at it. Is there any type of container nearby? It could have been used to transport the flammable liquid used to set the vehicle on fire. Check for footprints or tire tracks in and around the area. Also check for matches and lighters. These items, if found, would be important evidence.
Carefully inspect car components such as the radio, spare tire, battery, tires, and engine parts. Some criminals steal a vehicle to sell the parts. If the vehicle is relatively new, all its components should be attached. Missing parts could indicate that further investigation is warranted.
Also check the rims of the vehicle; the paint color should match. If it doesn’t, additional investigation is indicated. Loosened or too-tight lug nuts could be another indicator that something is not right and should be checked further.
Look at the gas cap if it is on the vehicle. If it was blown off, the flange should be bent outward. A missing cap could mean that the fuel was siphoned and used as an accelerant (this may not apply to newer models with plastic caps).
Check the doors and windows to see whether they are locked. Notice whether there are any pry marks around the locking assembly—an indicator that the car may have been broken into or stolen.
Circle around the vehicle and observe the burn pattern. This will tell you, or at least point you to, the area of origin. Is the roof assembly discolored and sagging? This can be another indicator to alert you that something might be amiss—perhaps an accelerant was used on the interior.
See if the vehicle has a set of plates or an identification plate attached. If not, this could be an indicator that the vehicle was stolen and set on fire to cover the crime.
- Interior Are the keys in the ignition? New cars should have upholstery in good condition —check whether it is torn, ripped, or stuffed with newspapers used to accelerate the spread of a fire. Check the trunk for the tools that usually are kept there—a spare tire, lug wrench, and jack. Is the radio or stereo still in the vehicle? Check the glove compartment. Most car owners keep their insurance or registration papers there. The absence of these items could be an indicator that some type of foul play is involved.
- Engine compartment. Examine this area very carefully to see whether all parts such as the battery, alternator, and other components are still
- attached to the engine. Have the fuel lines been loosened, removed, or cut? Does the engine top have a puddle of fuel that someone could have poured there? Is the key in the “on” position? In the case of electronic ignition and electric fuel pumps, this could keep the fuel pumping to accelerate the fire and add to its intensity.
- Fuel system. Examine the fuel system from the carburetor to the fuel tank. If the drain plug is missing and fuel has been released, there should be evidence of burning on the ground and under the vehicle. If there is no evidence of such burning, it’s possible that the fuel was drained and used as an accelerant. In this case, look around to see whether a container is in the area.
- Electrical system. Electrical shorts or problems often are blamed for a majority of car fires. While this may be true in some cases, we are not electrical experts, and I suggest that if you feel an electrical problem was involved in the fire that you contact the insurer and ask to have an expert called in to assist you in the investigation.
It’s also important to try to locate the vehicle’s owner to determine the financial status of the car. Is it paid for or being financed? How much is owed and who is carrying the note? Is the note overdue or paid ahead? All can be indicators to help you make a more in-depth investigation and a determination of whether professional investigators should be called.
Sometimes car owners declare to their insurance companies the loss of expensive items—such as cameras, furs, golf clubs, and even weapons they say were in the vehicle. Check the interior of the vehicle for the remains of such items. Fraud could be involved, and you must advise the insurance carrier so it can help you wrap up the case.
Be as complete as you can, and don’t hesitate to ask for help when you are in doubt. Firefighters do not have to earn’ this investigative burden alone. The insurance companies are willing to help. All you have to do is contact them
