Fire investigators examine the scene of a fire to determine if the cause of the fire was accidental or deliberate. Burn patterns may help indicate the area of origin and the course of the fire. Physical evidence can be collected and analyzed to support the investigator in arriving at a determination—for example, the presence of ignitable liquid residues, or tampered or damaged utilities, could indicate foul play.
On this page, find links to articles, awards, events, publications, and multimedia related to Fire Investigation.
Awards
Full-Scale Experiments to Study Impact of Ventilation on Fire Patterns
Under an NIJ grant, the UL Firefighter Safety Research Institute's fire investigation project completed scientific research into how ventilation impacted fire patterns and electrical system damage in single-family homes.
Fire and Arson Scene Evidence: A Guide for Public Safety Personnel
This handbook is intended as a guide to recommended practices for the collection and preservation of evidence at fire/arson scenes.
Smokeless Powder Database
A reference collection of information and data on powders, designed to assist forensic explosives analysts in characterizing, classifying, and comparing smokeless powder samples based on their physical and chemical properties.
Substrate Database
A compilation of characterization data from materials which may produce interfering products in fire debris. The Substrate Database is a tool designed to assist forensic analysts conducting fire debris analysis
Burning Item Database
A collection of fire test data for commonly used household or office furniture.
Ignitable Liquids Reference Collection
A compilation of reference materials used by forensic analysts to conduct fire debris analysis.
Material Thermal Properties Database
A small collection of thermal properties for materials used to construct common objects found in households and offices.