Firefighters able to determine cause of a fire?
I mean like, how do they know if a cigarette caused a fire, as opposed to a match?
2006-12-12 07:12:01 · 12 answers · asked by Sexual Chocolate 2 in Entertainment & Music ➔ Polls & Surveys
Honestly, alot of times they will not know if they found the remains of a pack of matches and a couple of cigarette butts in the ash-can, they would say it was careless smoking, that caused the can to catch on fire, and spread from there. i.e. human causes.
Firefighters will do sorta like CSI, go thru what is left and see what makes sense, and what does not. Accelerants leave various traces from spalling of the cement, to pour patterns under carpeting, vapors can be detected. the direction a light bulb melts, the depth and pattern of wood char, if the smoke forms a Upright or upside down V pattern, all lead to different facts.
In most cases, the BIG thing is narrowing down to a point of initial flame. One this is determined, then other stuff will be looked at. Example.. It started in the master bedroom, you can rule out everything in the garage, kitchen, computer room, etc. Now in the master bedroom, it started near the window (on the inside), near the window is an electrical plug, a candle stick with alot of wax built up and a radiator. well it is summer, the radiator would not be running, the plug has no beading so a short is probably not a problem, and that would sort of leave the candle as the most likely suspect.
If you are looking for arson, the old addage, is, to prove arson, you need to eliminate every other cause. and then you can prove it.
If the fire has totally taken out the house, it is possible that it might just be listed as undetermined, if so, it is possible the insurance company might send in a much better trained and funded person to check over stuff. Alot of times when they do that, they can find some reason why it was the home owners fault.
2006-12-13 16:22:13 · answer #1 · answered by TheHangedFrog 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I believe they must have some scientific training. Firefighters are smart you know!
2006-12-12 07:16:17 · answer #2 · answered by kayboff 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
probably by the way things burn, like if a cigarette was tossed in a garbage pail and was just left to smolder there.
2006-12-12 07:15:55 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
burn patterns are different for each source of fire, and the pattern is also different at the start of the fire then it is anywhere else.
2006-12-12 07:15:30 · answer #4 · answered by ~Kricket~ 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
amount of burn damage
the area where it started has more "burn"
cigarette filters leave a chemical mark
dose
2006-12-12 07:14:41 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
why you planning on starting a fire?
2006-12-12 07:14:38 · answer #6 · answered by NDmom 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
. Investigaters are trained to know every detail
2006-12-12 07:18:01 · answer #7 · answered by StarShine G 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I dont know. they must have to guess so they will sound smart
2006-12-12 07:14:23 · answer #8 · answered by Jelly Brotha 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
forensics examinations
=)
2006-12-12 07:15:18 · answer #9 · answered by §èxÿtà mmý ® 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
because of the heat it lets out smartasss
2006-12-12 07:13:48 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 4⤋