Title: Fire Cause and Origin
1Fire Cause and Origin
- This course is designed to meet the Minimum
Standards for Volunteer Fire Suppression
Personnel, Section 21, Fire Cause and Origin.
2Objectives Basic Level
- SFFMA Fire Cause and Origin, Basic
- 4 Hours
- The firefighter shall identify the roles and
responsibilities of a firefighter in determining
point of origin. - The firefighter shall identify factors indicating
the fire cause. - The firefighter shall identify observations
important to determining the events of a fire.
3Objectives Advanced Level
- SFFMA Fire Cause and Origin, Basic
- 4 Hours
- The firefighter shall define the importance of
securing a fire scene to prevent unwarranted
access. - The firefighter shall identify factors indicating
arson. - The firefighter shall identify the importance of
protecting and securing evidence at a fire scene.
4Roles and responsibilities of a firefighter in
determining point of origin
5Why do We Investigate Fires?
- Occupant safety
- Statistics
- Common fire causes
- Help direct fire prevention efforts
- Identify product defects
- Detect and prosecute arson
- Control insurance premiums
6Firefighters Responsibilities
- The responsibilities of the Firefighter begin
when the alarm is received - Your powers of observations are very valuable to
the fire investigation
7Observations En Route
- Time of Day
- Weather and Natural Hazards
- Man-made Barriers
- People leaving the scene
8Observations Upon Arrival
- Time of arrival and extent of the fire.
- Wind direction and velocity.
- Doors or windows locked or unlocked.
- Location of the fire.
- Containers or cans.
- Burglary Tools
- Man-made barriers
- Familiar Faces
9Observations During Suppression
- Unusual Odors
- Abnormal behavior of fire when water is applied.
- Obstacles hindering fire fighting.
- Incendiary Devices
- Trailers
- Structural alterations
10Observations During Suppression
- Fire Patterns
- Heat Intensity
- Abnormal behavior of fire when water is applied
- Availability of Documents
- Fire Detection and Protection Systems
- Intrusion Alarms
- Location of the Fire
- Obstacles that hinder fire suppression operations
- Trailers
11Observations After the Fire
- Availability of Documents and Records
- Incendiary Devices
- Structural Alterations
- Unusual Odors
- Personal Possessions
- Household Items
12Firefighters Responsibilities
- Firefighters must be aware during fire ground
operations that what they do and how they do it
can affect the determination of the cause and
origin of the fire.
13Responsibilities After the Fire
- Firefighters should report all facts concerning
the fire to the officer in charge as soon as
possible. - Delay thorough salvage and overhaul work until
the area of origin has been determined. - Firefighters should perform salvage and overhaul
carefully. They should not move more debris than
is necessary.
14Factors that Indicate the Cause of the Fire
- Burn Patterns
- Heat Transfer
- Flashover
15Heat Transfer
- Conduction
- Transfer of heat by direct contact of one body to
another (pipes, beams, etc.) - Convection
- Transfer of heat by some circulating medium
(either gas or liquid) - Convection is the form of heat transfer most
responsible for the spread of structural fires. - Radiation
- Heat being transferred from one area to another
without direct contact with the area, and without
any circulating hot gases to help bathe the
area in heat. It is heat in the form of energy
which travels through space or materials as waves.
16Flashover
- Stage of fire when a room or other area becomes
heated to the point when flames flash over the
entire surface or area. - Common cause of secondary fires
- Indicators
- Surface burning (a grey-black color w/ hairline
cracks, rather than deep char) - Lack of an accelerant residue
- Lack of normal fire spread
- Demarcation or separation line in the structure
an imaginary line between a heated area a
cooler area.
17Burn Patterns
- V Pattern
- Fires typically burn upward and outward
- Inverted V Pattern
- Ceiling Damage
- Char Depth
- Protected Areas
- Low Burning
18Conduct Statements At The Scene
- Firefighters should never attempt to interrogate
a potential arson suspect. - Allow the owners or occupants to talk freely if
they are incline to do so, some valuable
information is gather this way. - Careless joking and unauthorized or premature
remarks can be very embarrassing to the fire
department.
19Conduct Statements At The Scene
- A sufficient reply to any question concerning
cause is The fire is under investigation. - Any public statement regarding the fire cause
should be made only after the investigator and or
the ranking officer have agreed to its accuracy
and validity and have given permission for it to
be released.
20Securing The Fire Scene
- The most efficient and complete efforts to
determine the cause of a fire are wasted unless
the building and premises are properly secured
and guarded until an investigator has finished
evaluating the evidence exactly as it appears at
the scene.
21Securing The Fire Scene
- The fire department has the authority to bar
access to any building during fire fighting
operations and for a reasonable length of time
after fire suppression is terminated. - Fire Department authority ends when the last fire
department representative leaves the scene.
22Right of Entry
- The 4th Amendment to the US Constitution provides
the following guarantee - The right of the people to be secure in their
persons, houses, papers, and effects, against
unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be
violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon
probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation,
and particularly describing the place to be
searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
23Right of Entry
- The investigator has legal control of the scene
if - you arrive prior to the departure of fire
suppression personnel, and - fire suppression personnel have completed
suppression and overhaul operations - If you must leave for any reason other than
darkness or a scene that is too hot to work - You should obtain a Consent to Search or
Administrative Search Warrant before returning
24Right of Entry
- You have questionable control of the scene
- If the fire occurred during the night, you may
leave the scene and return as soon as possible
after daylight, or - If the scene is too hot for you to enter, you may
leave the scene and return as soon as possible
after the scene has cooled. - It is best to obtain a Consent to Search any time
the scene has been left unattended.
25Consents to Search
- Must be signed by someone who has control of the
premises, or who has authority to act in their
behalf. - If there is doubt as to a persons authority to
sign, you should get a warrant.
26Warrants
- Two Types
- Administrative
- Evidentiary
27Administrative Warrant
- Will usually suffice to get you into a scene
legally when you cant get a Consent to Search. - Can be issued by any Judge
- Justice of the Peace
- Judge of Commissioners Court
- Mayor?
- Is good until you find evidence that a crime has
been committed
28Evidentiary Warrant
- Is required when you find evidence, or suspect
that a crime has been committed - Must be issued by a judge of a court at law
- District Judge
- Judge of County Court at Law
29Warrants
- Must be executed as specified in the warrant
- Good for one entry, cant go back like you can
with a Consent to Search - Must leave a Return and execute a Return to the
court
30Warrants
- What does all this legal mumbo jumbo mean???
- Get written consent whenever you can
- Less work
- Less heartburn
31Indicators of Incendiary Fires(Red Flags)
- Extensive Low Burning
- Accelerant Trails
- Removal of Contents
- Seasonal Contents
- Impaired Entry
- Wrong Time Frame
- Smoking materials
- Cooking fires
- Multiple points of origin
- Not to be confused with drop fires
32Protecting and Securing Evidence
- Spoliation
- Protection of Evidence
- Collection of Evidence (If time permits)