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Arson > Investigation > Flashcards

Investigation Flashcards

1
Q

Matters for the specialist fire investigator to consider (seat of the fire)

A
  • Witnesses’ reports
  • When they first noticed the fire and where they were at the time
  • The state of the fire at that time
  • Wind direction and speed, weather
  • The direction of spread
  • The colour of the flames and smoke
  • Severity of the damage
  • Depth of charring
  • The presence of starting devices
  • Reports and opinions from other specialists
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2
Q

Examples of carelessness

A
  • Misusing electricity
  • Children playing with matches, lighters
  • Burning off paint
  • Vagrants lighting fires
  • Welding and other industrial processes
  • Leaving clothes near heating
  • Wrapping up live ashes in paper
  • Ironing
  • Setting off fireworks
  • Using or storing flammable materials
  • Burning rubbish
  • Using domestic or camp fires
  • Leaving a stove or heater on
  • Leaving fat unattended while cooking
  • Smoking
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3
Q

Examples of material used to start a fire

A
  • Readily available combustible material
  • Molotov cocktails
  • Candles
  • Chemical igniters
  • Timing devices
  • Electric matches
  • Electrical apparatus
  • Matches and cigarettes
  • Trailers
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4
Q

Police responsibilities

A
  • Conduct the criminal investigation or coronial enquiry
  • Undertake responsibility for the protection, collection and recording of forensic evidence
  • The collection and removal or material from a fire crime scene will only be done by Police or other agencies with the authority to remove evidence
  • The preservation, analysis and subsequent disposition of any such material is the responsibility of Police or other agency
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5
Q

Power conferred by section 42 of the Fire and Emergency Act 2017

A
  • Enter any land, building or structure
  • Break into any building or structure that may be on fire or otherwise endangered or that is near the emergency
  • Take or send any equipment or machine required to be used into, through, or upon any land, building or structure
  • Remove any land, building or structure that is on fire or otherwise endangered or that is near the emergency, any flammable, combustible, explosive or dangerous material found in the building or structure
  • Cause any building or structure that is on fire or otherwise endangered or that is adjacent to or in the vicinity of any building or structure that is on fire or otherwise endangered to be pulled down or shored up
  • Cause any building or structure to be pulled down or shored up at the time of the emergency or within a reasonable time afterwards
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6
Q

Matters for fire to liaise with Police

A
  • Handover of the fire scene
  • Access to the fire scene
  • Process for examination and investigation
  • Identification and collection of evidence at the fire scene
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7
Q

Three non-intentional causes of fire

A
  • Carelessness
  • Faults
  • Nature
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8
Q

When do the fire service notify Police

A
  • Death
  • Suspicious
  • Serious Injury
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9
Q

Considerations for Police to consider when controlling a scene

A
  • Ensure the scene is not interfered with
  • Exclusion and control of on-lookers
  • Preserving evidence
  • Preserving looting
  • Be aware of re-ignition
  • Be vigilant and watch for possible suspects
  • Identify any witnesses among on-lookers and passers-by
  • Report all matters of significance to the OC investigation
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10
Q

Role of FILO

A
  • Attend every fire that result in serious injury or death
  • Arrange Police attendance at fire scene when required
  • Assist area and district with fire investigation related inquiries
  • Coordinate fire investigation training for police employees in the area and district
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11
Q

What to ask incident controller at the scene

A
  • Time and date the call was made and the manner it was received
  • What appliance attended
  • What state the fire was in when fire arrived
  • Whether they thought the fire was suspicious and if so why
  • What information the fire service has about the building security
  • What action the fire service has already taken
  • What alterations they have made to the scene
  • Their opinions of the informant
  • Details of people or vehicles acting suspiciously
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12
Q

Evidence of wilful causes of fire

A
  • Evidence of explosives
  • Evidence of accelerants
  • Evidence of intentional interference
  • Intentional removal of valuable property
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13
Q

What conferences assist with and who attends

A
  • Identifying suspects
  • Reconstructing of a scene
  • Assessing information obtained
  • Pending further inquiries
  • Establishing possible motives
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14
Q

Who attends conferences

A

OC CIB
OC Investigation
Police photographer
Fingerprint technician/SOCO

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15
Q

Section 28 Fire Service Act

A
  • Close roads
  • Remove people in danger or interfering with operations, use reasonable force necessary
  • Enter private property when it is on fire or if entry is necessary to perform one’s duty
  • Do all things necessary to protect life and property
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16
Q

How to link a suspect to an arson

A
  • Burnt facial skin
  • Products of combustion on skin
  • Smell of smoke
  • Residue of fuel
17
Q

Suspect enquiries

A
  • Motive
  • Men’s Rea
  • Opportunity
  • Connection with the scene and crime
  • Character, mental background, history, movements and behaviour
18
Q

Protective clothing

A
  • Helmet
  • Nose and mouth filter
  • Overalls
  • Gloves
  • Footwear with steel soles and caps
19
Q

Who should you interview

A
  • Owner/occupier of house
  • Person who last secured the house
  • Person who found the fire
  • Person who gave the alarm
  • Bystanders
  • People loitering
  • Media
  • Local police
20
Q

Steps for an exhibit

A
  • Photograph in situ, label the exhibits and preserve them in containers
  • Use approved arson kits if available, if not use suitable containers
  • Take control samples such as charred timber and ashes and debris from the seat of the fire, any accelerant found near the scene, soil from surrounding area
21
Q

Point of origin

A
  • A component failed
  • An accidental fire originated
  • A fire was maliciously lit
22
Q

What will you be able to determine at the conclusion of the examination

A
  • Seat of fire
  • Area of origin
  • Point of origin
23
Q

Preliminary internal examination

A
  • Missing family photos, personal items
  • Open filing cabinets or missing files
  • Building area in need of repair
  • Signs of hardship
  • Rifled possessions
  • Presence of accelerant containers
24
Q

Detailed internal examination

A
  • Damage to roof timber
  • Damages to wall studs
  • Damage to window sills
  • Damage to skirting boards
25
Q

External examination

A
  • Yards and outbuilding of the fire affected property
  • Adjoining premise which often reveal accelerant, attempts, forced entry, broken window and forced doors
  • What distance debris was scattered
  • Property rundown
26
Q

External examination - surrounding area

A
  • Business appears to be struggling
  • Content of building missing
  • Accelerant containers
  • Property rundown
27
Q

External examination - damaged structure

A
  • Jimmy marks or other signs of forced entry
  • Burn patterns above doors or windows
  • Window glass broken before fire was ignited
28
Q

Prelim with owner

A
  • When the premises was last secured
  • Whether he or she knows the cause of fire
  • Details of any suspects and insurance
  • Type of business
  • Actions leading up to fire
29
Q

Characteristics of explosives

A
  • Spread of debris
  • Shedding of materials
  • Shrapnel marks
  • Overlays of dust
  • Cratering
30
Q

Initial action - fire involving explosives

A
  • Do not handle or interfere with anything unfamiliar, could be a second device
  • Don’t use cellphone, portable radios or transmitting device
  • Evacuate scene for at least 100m, ensure people leave belongings
  • Consider using explosive detector dog
  • If IED located immediately obtain assistance of an IED operator
  • Give regular sitreps to comms
31
Q

Intentional fires designed to look like electrical faults

A
  • Clothing on heaters
  • Toaster with nearby curtains
  • Leaving pit on stove element
  • Electric urns, breadmakers, water heaters, deep fryers and rice cookers
32
Q

Section 44 FENZ Act

A
  • Shut off water from any main or pipe in order to obtain a greater pressure and supply of water
  • Close any road or railway in the vicinity of the emergency
  • Remove any vehicle impeding and use force or break in if necessary
  • Remove any person who is interfering with operations or is in danger
  • Shut off or disconnect the supply of gas, fuel, oil or electricity to any building on fire or in the vicinity
  • Do all the necessary things to preserve life and prevent damage to property and land
33
Q

Origin of the fire

A

Where the fire started

34
Q

Seat of the fire

A

The area where the main body of the fire is located

35
Q

Where to start a prelim examination

A

From the least damaged into the most damaged/seat of the fire

36
Q

Three people you speak with first

A
  • The informant
  • Specialist fire investigator or the OC of the first fire appliance to attend
  • Incident controller at the scene
37
Q

Packaging bodies

A
  • Use bubble wrap to secure the body parts
  • Ensure that the body has cooled prior to wrapping
38
Q

Indicators of a deliberately lit fire

A
  • Evidence of accelerant
  • Evidence of intentional interference
  • Evidence of intentional removal of valuable property or substitution
  • Signs that furniture was rearranged to create a fire base
  • Signs that windows/skylights were opened to create a draught
  • Foreign material and objects
39
Q

Clean path method

A
  • Creating a path to the centre of the explosion for experts to retrieve explosive residues by laying a clean unused rolled of plastic
  • Have the ESR analyst start swabbing the area immediately
  • Vertical sheets of iron adjacent to the blast such as street signs and fencing are often good sources of residue

Arson (2 decks)

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