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By:
Josh Moulin
Police Officer / Fire Investigator
2003
January 2003 ? Josh Moulin 1

Instructor Background
? 8 years of Fire/EMS experience
? Left the fire service as a Lieutenant / Fire
Prevention Officer when hired as a Police
Officer
? Certified Fire Code Inspector
? Multiple NFPA Certifications
? Graduated from the National Fire Academy
Fire/Arson School in Emmitsburg Maryland
? Conducted multiple Fire/Arson investigations

Objectives
? Develop a basic understanding of scientific
principles of fire behavior
? Relationship between local fire agencies and
law enforcement
? Terminology used in fire investigation
? Role law enforcement plays in fire
investigation

Objectives
? Identify common fire patterns and how they
relate to fire behavior
? What makes a fire scene suspicious
? Properly document a fire scene
? Evidence collection principles for fire scene

Objectives
? Case law involving the investigation of fire
scenes
? Motives of a fire setter
? Courtroom testimony for fire investigation

Introduction
? The need for a
curriculum vitae
? Training and
experience

Expectations of this Course
? What resources are needed for a proper fire
investigation
? What should you do if you are assigned to a
fire investigation
? How do you contact resources you may need
? Where does the fire department��s authority
stop and yours begin

Legal Aspects of Fire Investigations
? Oregon Revised Statue gives local fire
agencies statutory authority to conduct an
��origin and cause�� investigation
? No warrant needed and no consent needed
? Investigation must occur ��within a
reasonable amount of time��
? Fire department must remain on scene

Legal Aspects of Fire Investigation
? DA��s office interpretation
? Consent forms
? Civil litigation
? NFPA 921 �C Systematic approach to fire
Investigation
? Exigent Circumstances

Administrative Search Warrants
? Primary objective must be a neutral plan based on
specific criteria
? Must show a fire of undetermined origin has occurred
on the premises
? Cannot unnecessarily intrude on victim��s privacy
? Evidence found in plain view may be seized in
administrative search warrant
? Cannot ��roam freely�� through fire victim��s private
residence
? Handout

Additional Information
? Firefighters may make forceful, unannounced,
nonconsensual, warrantless entry into building
? Firefighters have the right to remain on premises,
not only until fire is extinguished and no danger of
rekindling exists, but also to investigate
? After origin and cause determined, additional
search of premises may be conducted only
pursuant to valid warrant

Fourth Amendment Applied to Fire
Scenes
? Exigent circumstances allow firefighters to enter to
fight a fire (Michigan v. Clifford 464 U.S. 287, 294 &
Michigan v. Tyler, 436 U.S. 499
? Post fire searches are admissible when conducted
within a reasonable time
? Additional entries, after a reasonable time has
passed, must be made pursuant to the warrant
procedure

Fourth Amendment Applied to
Fire Scenes
? Additional investigation after fire is
extinguished and firefighters and police have
left generally must be made pursuant to a
warrant or new exigency.

Oregon Fire Laws
? Arson I
? Arson II
? Reckless burning
? Criminal mischief
? Reckless endangering

Motivations of Fire Setting
? Spite / revenge
? Pyromania
? Crime concealment
? Arson for profit
? Civil disorder
? Vanity
? Gangs
? Cults
? Serial arsonist
? Drugs

Profile of Serial Arsonist
? Single white male
? 20 to 27 years old
? Unstable family environment
? High school educated
? Considered an under-achiever
? Sloppy and unkept appearance
? Poorly adjusted socially and sexually
? If married, usually has periods of separation
? Feels sense of satisfaction after the fire
? If arrested, shows no remorse

Resources Available
? Local fire department / district
? Regional Fire Investigation Team
? Local law enforcement
? Local insurance companies
? IAAI
? UL / www.CPSC.gov

Basic Fire Behavior
? What is fire?
? Rapid, self-sustained oxidation process
with the evolution of heat and light in
varying intensities
? Fire must have four things to survive
? Heat
? Oxygen
? Fuel
? Chemical Chain Reaction

Fire Components
Heat
Fuel
Oxygen
Uninhibited Chain Reaction

Steps of Fire Process
? Input heat
? Fuel
? Oxygen
? Mixing
? Proportioning
? Ignition continuity

Classes of Fire
? Class A �C Ordinary combustibles
? Class B �C Flammable / combustible liquids
? Class C �C Energized electrical equipment
? Class D �C Combustible metals

Stages of Fire
? Incipient stage (growth)
? Free burning stage (development)
? Smoldering (decay)

Oxygen Needed for Combustion
? Atmosphere has 20.8 % oxygen content
? Open flaming combustion will stop at 15 �C 16
%

Fire Phenomena
? Flashover
? Backdraft �C dangerous to police and
bystanders especially
? Signs of backdraft
? Fire gases, superheated gases, soot, smoke

Signs of Fire
? Physical effects that can be seen or measured
? Lines of demarcation �C borders defining heat and
smoke
? Movement patterns
? Intensity patterns
? Spalling
? Clean burn
? Calcination

Char
? Depth of char as indicator
? Consider ventilation
? Shows duration

Temperatures
? Aluminum melts at 1220 F
? Copper melts at 1981 F
? Glass melts at 1100 �C 2600 F
? Cigarette 550 F at end, 1250 in center
? Collapsed springs at 750 F
? Hardwood �C 595-740 F
? Gasoline �C 853 F
? Average house fire �C 1300 F

Fire Patterns
? Fire will usually go up and out �C path of least resistance
? Shadowing
? Protection
? ��V�� patterns
? Inverted ��V�� patterns
? ��U�� patterns
? Light bulbs
? Arrow patterns

Firefighting Tactics Changing
Patterns
? Importance of
interviewing Fire
Department
? Hose Streams
? Ventilation
? Overhaul

Fire Causes

Natural Fires
Lightning
Earthquake
Wind
No direct human
intervention
��Acts of God��

Undetermined
? Cannot prove cause
? ��Under Investigation��
? Can be determined at
later date

Incendiary Fire
? Deliberately set fire
? Suspect knows fire
should not been set
? Mindset of suspect
? Never call a fire
��suspicious��

Signs of Incendiary Fire
? Must first eliminate ALL possible accidental causes
? Multiple fires
? Trailers
? Presence of accelerants
? Low level burning
? Splash patterns
? Odors
? Flashback
? Containers
? Removal of household contents

Signs of Incendiary Fire, Cont.
? Absence of personal papers and items
? Location of the fire
? Evidence of other crimes
? Unnatural fire spread
? Previous fires in same structure or with same people
? Injuries to occupants or others
? Time of day
? Limited / blocked entrance or view

Certainty of Opinions
? Conclusive
? All reasonable alternatives to hypothesis are
considered and eliminated
? Probable
? More likely than not
? Possible
? Hypothesis can be demonstrated to be feasible but
cannot be declared probable
? Suspected
? Hypothesis may be true, but insufficient data to draw
a conclusion to the exclusion of other reasonable
conclusions

Oregon State Fire Marshal��s Office
? Required to be notified anytime a fire fatality
occurs
? Has additional resources

Fire Fatalities
? Team of fire department, OSFM, local L.E.,
medical examiner
? Two individual investigations
? Origin and cause
? Death investigation
? Considerations about moving the body
? Additional damage
? OSFM and ME approval
? Photography
? Fire debris around the body

Fire Fatalities Cont.
? Why didn��t the person get out?
? Obstacles
? Locks
? Past history of people and buildings
? Fire and life insurance coverage
? Cause of death
? Thermal injury v. CO asphyxiation
? If unknown remains exists, consider everything
human remains
? Typical injuries and conditions found
? Lividity
? Eviscerations

There��s a Fire��Now What?
? Evaluate scene for
safety
? Secure scene
perimeter
? Use ��team�� approach
? Consider respiratory
hazards
? Always talk with IC

There��s a Fire��Now What? Cont.,
? Solicit information about fire suppression
? Difficulties
? Flashback
? Unusual findings
? Forcible entry
? Time and method of alarm
? Weather conditions
? Color of flames and smoke

There��s a Fire��Now What?
Cont.,
? Scene evaluation ��backwards theory��
? Reconstruction of fire scene
? Debris removal
? Determine fire origin
? Determine fire cause
? Document
? Field notes
? Photograph
? Sketch
? Report

Evidence Collection
? Follow standard chain of custody
? Realize fire department is usually not well versed in
evidence and may need your help
? Contamination
? Specialized containers
? Samples taken at scene
? Trace evidence
? Accelerant detection K-9��s

Common Law Enforcement Role
? Assist with interviews, interrogations,
neighborhood canvassing
? Assist with evidence collection
? Criminal checks on suspects
? Investigation may be ��handed�� off to you if
suspect is developed or fire is determined to
be incendiary

Vehicle Fires
? Damage from accidental v. incendiary
? Look for signs of theft or damage
? Two scene investigations
? Overall scene & vehicle interior
? Gas caps and filler tube
? Shoeprints, fingerprints, skid marks
? Soil samples
? Tire pads
? Interior vehicle examination �C combustibles or flammable
liquids
? Ashtrays

Vehicle Fires, Cont.
? Window position
? Door positions
? Attempts taken to extinguish
? Presence of personal items
? Engine compartment
? Vin number and license plates
? Fire objectives

Vehicle Fire Objectives
? Identify point of origin
? Usually lowest point and greatest damage
? Find the heat source
? Energy which ignited fire
? Determine fuel source
? Material ignited by heat source
? Determine the event of the fire
? How did heat source and fuel combine to start fire
? Determine category of fire
? Must accomplish 1 �C 4 first.

Motives of Vehicle Arson
? Mechanical problems
? Vehicle is lemon, cannot afford needed
mechanical work
? Owner��s financial problems
? Conduct financial check
? Status on car payments
? Witnesses

Terrorism Related
Fires / Explosions
? ELF / ALF
? Use of common devices
? ATF notification
? Use of tagging
? Websites �C Anarchist��s
cook book

Fire Scene Photos

Roof Condition

Doors / Forcible Entry

Exterior 360 Degree

Arial View

View of SE corner

Interior Garage - Area of Least Damage

South Interior Garage

Electrical Panel

Electrical Main Feed

Top of Porch Landing

North Side of Landing

Underneath of Landing

Outlet on Porch Landing

Stain Cans

Close-up of Stain Cans

Paint Rollers

Heat Damage

Cigarette Butts

Heat Damage

��V-Pattern��

Wide View of V-Pattern

Fire Damage

Fire Patterns

Questions?

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Josh Moulin: Basic Fire Investigation for Law Enforcement

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Josh Moulin: Basic Fire Investigation for Law Enforcement