Understanding the Impact of Ventilation on Burn Patterns Can Aid Arson Investigations

• NCJ Number: 255072
• Date Published: August 2020
• Agencies: NIJ

Annotation

This article reports on research funded by the National Institute of Justice in which researchers conducted a series of experiments on fires with and without ventilation in order to provide fire investigators with more valid scientific data.

Abstract

According to the National Fire Protection Association, approximately 261,000 fires were intentionally set each year in the United States from 2010 to 2014, with a resulting annual death rate of about 440 people. Establishing the origin and course of a fire are important first steps for determining whether arson was committed. The role of ventilation in a fire changes the fire patterns and this could lead to investigators making an inaccurate arson ruling. This article details how researchers conducted a series of experiments on fires with and without ventilation in order to provide fire investigators with more valid scientific data. It also discusses a secondary study on how energized electrical cords fail when fires progress.