Chapter 18 – fire caused determination Flashcards
A fire investigator should be called when a ………occurs.
Death or serious burn injury occurs
If the cause of the fire was deliberate, a ……….. has occurred and must be fully investigated
Crime
What is the flammable liquid choice of arsonist?
Gasoline
Because determining the cause and origin of a fire serves a compelling public interest, the ………..requirement does not apply to such cases.
Warrant
- No search warrant is needed when fighting a fire or remaining on the scene for a reasonable period of time to determine the cause of a fire and any evidence is admissible under the plain view doctrine
- Administrative search warrants are needed for reentry that is not in a continuation of a valid search when the purpose is to determine the cause of the fire.
- In criminal search warrant is needed when reentry is not a continuation of a valid search and the purpose is to gain evidence for prosecution
Provisions related to the process that were clarified in court case Michigan versus Taylor
An officer who conducts a preliminary fire caused investigation and suspects that a crime has occurred should immediately request the response of a ……………
Fire investigator
The fire officer must ensure that the fire department personnel maintain ……… of the scene until the investigator arrives
Custody
Tangible items that can be identified by witnesses, such as incendiary devices in fire scene debris
Demonstrated evidence
Evidence in written form, such as reports, records, photographs, sketches, and witness statements
Documentary evidence
Witnesses speaking Underoath
Testimonial evidence
The first step in fire cause determination is to identify the………
Point of origin
The exact location where a heat source and fuel come in contact with each other. It is usually determined by examining fire damage and fire pattern evidence at the fire scene
Point of origin
Often, the point of a ……shaped pattern is near or at the point of a fire origin.
As fire burns up against a wall, it spreads up and out creating this pattern
V-shaped
Before declaring a fire cause as incendiary or intentional, all accidental causes must be ……….
Considered and eliminated
After all investigative possibilities have been exhausted, if two or more potential causes remain, the cause of the fire is considered……….
Undetermined
According to the US fire administration …….% of vehicle fires were caused by mechanical failure or malfunction.
47%
Make note of the make, model, and year of the vehicle as well as the ………… . This allows for a review of previous fires that have occurred in vehicles of the same make model and year.
Vehicle identification number
VIN
Fires burn uphill very ………., But they do burn downhill and a slower rate.
Rapidly
Any fire that is deliberately ignited under circumstances in which the person knows that the fire should not be ignited
Incendiary fire cause
NFPA number for fire and explosion investigations
NFPA 921
Most frequent ignition cause in residential fires is………
Unattended cooking
Chemical composition that results in a gradual lowering of the ignition temperature of wood until auto ignition occurs.
Pyrolysis
