Fire Investigation

The purpose of this FISC Bulletin Board is to share information about the vetting process for scientific literature, known as foundational literature or foundational research, which provides the scientific foundation for each forensic discipline. The article begins by summarizing the concerns expressed in the 2009 NRC/NAS Report about the need for each forensic discipline to identify its foundational literature, and then introduces the NRC/NAS Report’s “Foundational Research Recommendation.” Next, it summarizes activities of various organizations that are relevant to implementing the Foundational Research Recommendation. The status of fire investigations as one of the forensic science disciplines to which this Recommendation applies is also evaluated. The activities of the Organization of Scientific Area Committees (OSAC) and the National Commission on Forensic Science (NCFS) relating to foundational research are explored. And finally, the status of NFPA 921 and NFPA 1033 as foundational research are considered, together with litigation implications of the issues raised in this article.

This FISC Bulletin Board compiles clips of recent events concerning consensus-based fire investigation standards and guidelines. These Fast Facts cover news about NFPA 921, NFPA 1033, the National Commission on Forensic Science (NCFS), and the Organization of Scientific Area Committees (OSAC). It also describes developments in fire investigation policy from an organization representing all fire services throughout the states of Australia and New Zealand: the Australasian Fire Authorities Counsel (AFAC).

This FISC Bulletin Board first introduces the 2017 edition of NFPA 921. Next, it briefly reviews the Organization of Scientific Area Committees (OSAC), it’s Registry of approved standards and guidelines, and considers the implications of the approval of NFPA 921 and NFPA 1033 for the OSAC Registry.

The genesis of this piece comes from a trend the authors have observed in three separate but related areas, which the authors believe are converging into a perfect storm for fire investigators. These are: 1) the ongoing movement by courts across the nation to scrutinize more closely the reliability of expert testimony, 2) a growing apprehension about wrongful convictions stemming from faulty forensic evidence and problems in fire investigations, culminating in the revolutionary 2009 report published by the National Academy of Sciences, and; 3) the continuing development of industry standards that are raising the bar for fire investigators. Part I describes each of these forces, and then Part II demonstrates how together they are creating a mounting pressure on fire investigation experts to defend their qualifications and the reliability of their opinions in court, particularly insofar as analyzing the fire scene and interpreting fire patterns is concerned.

This FISC Bulletin Board highlights the American Boat and Yacht Council (ABYC) standards identified in NFPA 921, 2008 edition. Readers should refer to the most recent edition of NFPA 921 for more recent editions of the relevant standards. Although readers need to update this article, it provides some good background information about the ABYC and its history.

This FISC Bulletin Board summarizes the needs as well as the gaps in foundational research for the fire investigation field. These analyses of the research needs were published by: 1) The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Fire Investigation Working Group, in its 2017 Report, “Forensic Science Assessments A Quality and Gap Analysis – Fire Investigation & Annotated Bibliography,” and; 2) The Organization of Scientific Area Committees (OSAC) Subcommittee on Fire and Explosion Investigation, it two “Needs Assessments” published in 2016.

This FISC article explains some consequences of the fire investigation discipline being included among the forensic sciences. Rather than evolving at its own pace with its own self-contained goals, fire investigations will be increasingly influenced by factors affecting all forensic sciences. For example, the need to improve the reliability of its methodologies by continued development and implementation of industry standards. Fire investigators and attorneys should be aware of standards development activities within other disciplines that may also pertain to fire investigations. This article provides a brief summary of the entry of fire investigations into the forensic sciences through the combined efforts of organizations like the National Research Council (NRC), the National Commission on Forensic Sciences (NCFS), and the Organization of Scientific Area Committees (OSAC). It also introduces the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS), which has long included fire investigations among its scientific endeavors. We also touch upon AAFS's Academy Standards Board (a standards development organization) that is creating standards that may affect the use of canines in fire investigations.

This FISC Bulletin Board introduces the Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council (AFAC), which is the peak body responsible for representing fire, emergency services and land management agencies in the Australasian region (Australia, New Zealand, and South Pacific rim countries). It also describes a system for qualification of fire investigators developed by the AFAC, known as the Emergency Management Professionalisation Scheme (EMPS). Since 2015, EMPS has been credentialing practitioners in emergency management, benchmarking individual skills against published professional standards and providing assurance to individuals, fire and emergency service agencies and the public that their qualifications and experience meet nationally-agreed requirements. Under this EMPS, Individual fire investigators can apply to be recognized as Certified or Registered practitioners under the scheme. The professional standards, courses, and code of ethics that apply to individuals seeking registration or certification as fire investigators are summarized in this article.

This video provides guidance from the International Association of Arson Investigators on the proper donning and doffing (removal) of personal protective equipment to mitigate hazards at the post-fire scene, focusing on respiratory protection. The video includes recommended PPE ensembles for different situations, demonstrations of proper donning and doffing procedures, and procedures for cleaning, maintaining, and storing PPE.

Abstract: The application and limitations of fieldportable Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) to fire investigations was the focus of this project. Today's fieldportable GC/MS systems were found to provide lab-quality data for volatile hydrocarbons but the interpretation of that data proved challenging for field operators. On-line access to lab experts is essential. Scene investigators felt that data generated at the fire scene is useful, especially for public agencies who often must wait months before receiving lab results. Scene sampling using SPME has proven problematic due to the over-saturation of the sensitive SPME fibers and their rapid loss of adsorbed compounds. Sampling at ambient temperatures limits the range of identifiable. products. Evidence sampling is enhanced with the use of sensitive PIDs (photoionization detectors) as a supplement to canine searches.

The main purpose of this FISC article is to pique the readers' interest in the NFPA 921, 2021 edition by reviewing one of its many changes. Dating back to its first edition in 1992, NFPA 921 has included a four-category system for classifying fire causes. In the 2017 edition, Chapter 20 "Classification of Fire Cause," states that "the cause of a fire may be classified as accidental, natural, incendiary, or undetermined." These classifications, in place since the 1992 edition, have been removed in the 2021 edition. This article is published in two parts. Part I summarizes the history of this classification system and some of its problems. It explains the distinction between "incident reporting," which includes coding fire cause data for classification purposes, and "investigation reports," which apply the scientific method for determining fire cause. Finally, Part I explains the reasons that NFPA 921 was revised in the 2017 edition to state that completing NIFRS incident reports are outside the scope of NFPA 921. This revision, made to accommodate the public sector, became a significant factor in the decision to delete Chapter 20 in the 2021 edition.

This is the second part of a FISC article addressing why Chapter 20, "Classification of Fire Cause," has been removed in NFPA 921, Guide for Fire and Explosion Investigations, 2021 ed. Part II of this article provides the background leading up to the decision by the Technical Committee responsible for NFPA 921 to remove fire cause classifications from NFPA 921. It also cites revisions in other chapters in the 2021 edition related to the deletion of Chapter 20. Finally, the article touches on some of the implications of this change.

This poster promotes taking a positive team approach towards identifying, preserving, documenting, securing and retrieving of potential forensic evidence from even the most destructive of fire scenes.

Fire Investigator Accident and Near-Miss Reporting Program

A web site with detailed written recommended procedures and video demonstrations for how to collect over 50 types of evidence found at fire scenes, checklists for evidence collection, and an FAQ of common evidence collection questions. All procedures were vetted by evidence collection and testing experts selected by the IAAI.

This report has concentrated on overheated cut out fuses within the service head of a premises’ electrical intake, however, the issue of localised resistance heating also affects meters and consumer units, as well as other general electrical connections in an electrical installation.

This FISC Bulletin Board features a summary of developments in the world of forensic science involving fire investigators, including a brief update on developments following the publication of the NRC/NAS Report. The mandates assigned to the White House Interagency Working Groups (IWGs) are described as are the work of the Technical/Scientific Working Group on Fires and Explosions (T/SWGFEX). This article also tracks the progress of NFPA 1033 in the development of its 2014 edition.

One of the most significant events increasing the importance of industry standards occurred in 2009 when the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences published its report, “Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States: A Path Forward” (the NAS/NRC Report). This FISC Bulletin Board first summarizes the recommendations of the NRC/NAS Report most relevant to fire investigators. It then describes the efforts of two US federal government-sponsored organizations to implement these recommendations: The National Commission on Forensic Science (NCFS), and The Organization of Scientific Area Committees (OSAC).

This FISC Bulletin Board, written in 2005 by FISC member, Ross Brogan, who was at the time an Inspector with the New South Wales Fire Brigades, Australia, concerns the approach to fire investigation standards, qualifications, and training employed in Australia and New Zealand.

This table marks historic milestones relating to the interrelationship of NFPA 921, NFPA 1033, and litigation.

This is the first FISC Bulletin Board introducing the 2009 NRC/NAS Report, “Strengthening Forensic Science United States: A Path Forward.” Further, it details the issues assigned to the White House Interagency Working Groups (IWGs) who were the first organizations to begin implementing the Report. Finally, it identifies one of the first case decisions citing the NRC/NAS Report in a postconviction relief case involving an arson conviction.

This FISC Bulletin Board is the first in a four-part series that provide the reader with resources to be able to gain and to articulate the requisite knowledge of the NFPA 1033, 2014 ed. “List of 16” topics in sub-para. 1.3.7. This part deals with the first four of the List of 16, covering the following topics: 1) Fire Science, 2) Fire Chemistry, 3) Thermodynamics, and; 4) Thermometry. Note: NFPA 1033, 2022 ed. was issued after this series was published. The 2022 edition reorganizes, moves, and annotates the earlier "List of 16" topics. However, this series of articles still has valuable information about those topics that were carried forward into the 2022 edition. This article addresses "Thermometry," a topic not included in NFPA 1033, 2022 ed. The reader is encouraged to read this article in conjunction with the 2022 edition. For more information about the new edition, see the FISC article "NFPA 1033, 2022 ed. Ups the Ante for Fire Investigators and NFPA 921, 2024 ed. Is in the Works," (published in the F&A I Journal in July, 2021).

This FISC Bulletin Board is the second in a four-part series that provide the reader with resources to be able to gain and to articulate the requisite knowledge of the NFPA 1033, 2014 ed. “List of 16” topics in sub-para. 1.3.7. This part deals with the second set of four of the List of 16, covering the following topics: 5) Fire Dynamics, 6) Explosion Dynamics, 7) Computer fire modeling, and; 8) Fire Investigation. Note: NFPA 1033, 2022 ed. was issued after this series was published. The 2022 edition reorganizes, moves, and annotates the earlier "List of 16" topics. However, this series of articles still has valuable information about those topics that were carried forward into the 2022 edition. The reader is encouraged to read this article in conjunction with the 2022 edition. For more information about the new edition, see the FISC article NFPA 1033, 2022 ed. Ups the Ante for Fire Investigators and NFPA 921, 2024 ed. Is in the Works, (published in the F&A I Journal in July 2021).

This FISC Bulletin Board is the third in a four-part series that provide the reader with resources to be able to gain and to articulate the requisite knowledge of the NFPA 1033, 2014 ed. “List of 16” topics in sub-para. 1.3.7. This part covers the following topics: 9) Fire Analysis, 10) Fire Investigation Methodology, 11) Fire Investigation Technology, and; 12) Hazardous Materials. Note: NFPA 1033, 2022 ed. was issued after this series was published. The 2022 edition reorganizes, moves, and annotates the earlier "List of 16" topics. However, this series of articles still has valuable information about those topics that were carried forward into the 2022 edition. The reader is encouraged to read this article in conjunction with the 2022 edition. For more information about the new edition, see the FISC article NFPA 1033, 2022 ed. Ups the Ante for Fire Investigators and NFPA 921, 2024 ed. Is in the Works, (published in the F&A I Journal in July 2021).

This FISC Bulletin Board is the last in a four-part series that provide the reader with resources to be able to gain and to articulate the requisite knowledge of the NFPA 1033, 2014 ed. “List of 16” topics in sub-para. 1.3.7. This part covers the following topics: 13) Failure analysis and analytical tools, 14) Fire protection systems, 15) Evidence documentation, collection, and preservation, and; 16) Electricity and electrical systems. Note: NFPA 1033, 2022 ed. was issued after this series was published. The 2022 edition reorganizes, moves, and annotates the earlier "List of 16" topics. However, this series of articles still has valuable information about those topics that were carried forward into the 2022 edition. The reader is encouraged to read this article in conjunction with the 2022 edition. For more information about the new edition, see the FISC article NFPA 1033, 2022 ed. Ups the Ante for Fire Investigators and NFPA 921, 2024 ed. Is in the Works, (published in the F&A I Journal in July 2021).

This FISC article introduces the 2022 edition of NFPA 1033 Standard for Professional Qualifications for Fire Investigator. It examines some of the most notable revisions and describes how to access the new edition. It also explains how this edition of NFPA 1033 is more closely aligned with NFPA 921 than ever before. The overall result of this stronger alignment together with other revisions to NFPA 1033 is that it sets a new, higher standard for fire investigators. This article also addresses errata and a tentative interim amendment to the NFPA 921, 2021 edition, which are available online.

This article is the result of over 20 years of research by the authors into the use of NFPA 921 in court, summarizing the number of cases mentioning NFPA 921 in the US and Canada, the jurisdictions in which NFPA 921 has been referenced, and the broad categories of issues in which NFPA 921 has been raised.

This article describes the experience of one of the IAAI Fire Investigation Standards Committee (FISC) members who was involved in a New York state case involving NFPA 921. Many interesting lessons are shared concerning the use of NFPA 921 in court.

Updating an earlier FISC Bulletin Board, this article addresses the standards, guidelines, and regulations that apply to occupational safety and health standards for fire and explosion investigators. While readers will need to remember to update the information in this article from 2009, it still offers a good overview of safety issues for investigators and the regulations and resources that were available as of 2009. Note that there have been changes to the NFPA 921 Safety Chapter, as well as to safety standards, guidelines, and regulations, since this article was published.

This FISC article outlines information about the Organization of Scientific Area Committees for Forensic Science (OSAC), highlights changes in effect with the launching of OSAC 2.0, and provides updates on OSAC projects relating to fire investigations. OSAC 2.0 restructures the original OSAC organization based on the experience in operations. The reorganization slims down the organization and makes the processes more efficient.

This FISC article outlines information about the Organization of Scientific Area Committees for Forensic Science (OSAC), highlights changes in effect with the launching of OSAC 2.0, and provides updates on OSAC projects relating to fire investigations. OSAC 2.0 restructures the original OSAC organization based on the experience in operations. The reorganization slims down the organization and makes the processes more efficient.

The year 2021 marked a major milestone in the journey the fire investigation discipline is taking to improve the quality assurance for the delivery of fire investigation services. That milestone is NFPA's publication of the initial draft of a new standard: NFPA 1321 Standard for Fire Investigation Units (FIUs). The main purpose of this article is to acquaint readers with this new proposed standard and consider its potential role in quality assurance related to the administration and management of FIUs. This FISC article is in two parts. Part I begins by explaining four essential parts of quality assurance, reviewing where the fire investigation field stands respecting each one, and considering how NFPA 1321 fits in. Next is an overview of the geneses of NFPA 1321. Then, this article introduces the NFPA 1321 technical committee and highlights the steps it took to develop the draft. Part I ends with an overview of NFPA 1321's content.

In this article the Fire Investigation Standards Committee (FISC) provides updates on the status of the 2022 edition of NFPA 1033 and the 2021 edition of NFPA 921. These standards were issued after this article was published and other FISC articles summarize revisions in these two documents. However, this article is still informative because it introduces the new chairpersons appointed to the technical committees responsible for each these two documents. It also acquaints the reader with many of the steps in the NFPA standards development process that each document must undergo before a new edition is issued. The article includes the quick reference guide for finding changes to the print edition of each standard – a very helpful tool for tracking changes. Finally, a Tentative Interim Amendment is described for NFPA 921, which has since been passed, changing some portions of the 2021 edition.

As a result of revisions to the 2014 editions of NFPA 921 and NFPA 1033, together with initiatives arising from the NRC/NAS Report, this article predicts that more weight will be given to industry standards for fire investigators. These standards include NFPA 921 and NFPA 1033, as well as standards issued by ASTM International. This article is divided into 2 parts. Part I begins with a brief refresher on the significance of authoritative documents such as industry standards for fire experts involved in litigation. It also explains how NFPA 1033 and NFPA 921 highlight ASTM standards relevant for fire investigators. Part II familiarizes the reader with ASTM International and its standards. It provides an overview of some of the most prominent ASTM standards from a fire investigator’s viewpoint.

Scale Modeling in Fire Reconstruction NCJ Number 250920 Author(s) J. G. Quintiere, Allison C. Carey, Lenwood Reeves, Lee K. McCarthy Date Published January 2017 Length 160 pages

Spontaneous Ignition in Fire Investigation NCJ Number 239046 Author(s) James G. Quintiere; Justin T. Warden; Stephen M. Tamburello; Thomas E. Minnich Date Published April 2012 Length 69 pages

This table lists some of the leading organizations whose standards and guidelines are relevant to fire investigation and litigation. It provides a starting point to search the websites of these organizations in order to learn their roles in the standards-making world and to identify standards and guidelines that might be germane to a fire investigator’s career or to a given investigation.

The Bomb Arson Tracking System (BATS) is a Web-based computerized case management system for law enforcement and public safety agencies. The purpose of BATS is to collect data and to provide investigators with analytical products to assist in the investigation of crimes related to the criminal misuse of explosives and acts of arson. This FISC Bulletin Board introduces BATS and explains the way it can aid fire investigators.

This FISC Bulletin Board introduces the universal accreditation initiative, prepared by the National Commission on Forensic Science (NCFS). This initiative was prepared by the NCFS as a step towards implementing one of the recommendations in the NRC/NAS Report. It recommends mandatory universal accreditation of all public and private organizations providing forensic science services for “criminal, civil, regulatory, or administrative proceedings.” The definition of the forensic science service providers affected by the recommendation specifically includes fire investigation services providers, public and private. At the time this article was written, the universal accreditation recommendation was in draft form. The NCFS finalized this document and in 2015 issued it as a Policy Recommendation of the NCFS.

This guidance has been developed for organisations requiring their staff to undertake Fire Investigations anywhere within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Previously investigations have been split into three separate levels, however it is felt that whilst the competencies required for the first level are different, the competencies required for the second and third level are actually the same.

After providing a synopsis of the work in progress on the 2017 edition of NFPA 921, this FISC Bulletin Board introduces the inaugural edition of a NFPA standard that took effect in June 2015: NFPA 1730 Standard on Organization and Deployment of Fire Prevention Inspection and Code Enforcement, Plan Review, Investigation, and Public Education Operations, 2016 ed.. This standard addresses the organization and deployment of fire prevention services, including fire investigations in a “fire prevention organization,” typically a public fire department.