Chapter 37 Fire Cause Determination

Question 1

Arson

Answer 1

malicious burning of property with a criminal intent.

Question 2

Point of origin

Answer 2

starting point of a fire where ignition occurs and fuel begins to burn.

Question 3

competent ignition source

Answer 3

source must have enough heat energy to ignite the fuel and must remain in contact with the fuel until the fuel reaches its ignition temp. seconds,minutes,hours,days,weeks

Question 4

Serial arson

Answer 4

offender that sets three or more fires with cooling off between fires

Question 5

Spree arson

Answer 5

involves arsonist who sets three or more fires at separate locations with no cooling off

Question 6

Mass arson

Answer 6

offender who sets three or more fires at the same site or locations during a limited period of time.

Question 7

Arsonist motives

Answer 7

1. vandalism
2. exvitement
3. revenge
4. crime concealment
5. profit
6. extremism

Question 8

Pyromaniac

Answer 8

pathological fire setter, adults/often loners, polite and timid

Question 9

Juvenile Fire-setters three groups

Answer 9

1. 8yrs and younger- usually curious
2. 9 to 12yrs- spite revenge (M) attention or stress (F)
3. 13 to 17yrs- same motivations as adults

Question 10

accelerants

Answer 10

mat. used to initiate/increase fire spread

Question 11

accidental

Answer 11

fire cause classification that includes fires started with a proven cause that does not involve a deliberate human act. (cigarette left unattended)

Question 12

Chan of custody/ chain of evidence

Answer 12

legal term used to describe paperwork used when handling evidence

Question 13

circumstantial evidence

Answer 13

gas can found and witnesses saw suspect buying the gas can

Question 14

contaminated

Answer 14

term used to describe evidence that may have been altered from its original state.

Question 15

demonstrative evidence

Answer 15

material that are used to demonstrate a theory or explain an event, computer model

Question 16

depth of char

Answer 16

thickness of material consumed by a fire. helps determine intensity

Question 17

direct evidence

Answer 17

evidence that is reported first hand (eye witness/security camera)

Question 18

incendiary

Answer 18

fire cause classification that includes fires that are deliberately set.

Question 19

trailers

Answer 19

comb. materials (rolled rags, blankets, newspapers, and ignitable liquids)

Question 20

Trace/transfer evidence

Answer 20

evidence of a minute quantity of physical evidence that is conveyed from one place to another

Question 21

Physical evidence

Answer 21

items that can be observed photographed, measured, collected, examined in a lab and presented in court.

Question 22

Fire Cause stats

Answer 22

396,000 home structure fires
2580 Fatalities
6.8 billion in direct property damage