In determining what caused a fire, firefighters and investigators cooperate to piece together the puzzle. Fires are investigated to determine whether the fire can be tied to an accidental cause or the fire was set. A fire is deemed suspicious when certain things are either present or absent; here are a few of those things:
- No accidental causes in the vicinity of a fire’s point of origin
- The presence of accelerants in a place where they should not be
- The presence of other crimes that may have been covered up by a fire
- When all accidental causes are ruled out
- Multiple fires with no point connecting any of them
This is not a complete list, but it gives you an idea of what turns a fire from an accidental to a suspicious cause.
Why is it important for the cause of a fire, accidental or suspicious, to be determined? Accidental causes are important to all of us, in that human behaviors may have contributed, or an equipment failure may be need to be evaluated. By knowing accidental causes, we are able to look at our own homes with a new perspective. The suspicious fire means that someone possibly set the fire. It is vitally important to figure out who started the fire and the motivation for that action. Is this an isolated incident or a cause for greater concern?
How can you, the eyewitness, but inexperienced eye, contribute to the investigation process? The answer is to be aware of your surroundings. If you see something that looks suspicious, report it. Maybe you want to think the best of your neighbors, but unless you know them, you do not know them. I know that we are talking about suspicious fires, but the point is, we must be mindful of all suspicious activity. Back to a fire that occurs near your home, as you are calling 9-1-1:
- What do you see?
- Where is the smoke coming from when you first notice the fire?
- Is anyone running from the scene? Do you know them?
- Is there anyone home?
- How did the fire progress? Outside/In? Inside/out?
Fire can be an unnerving event in a community or a neighborhood. Whatever the cause, neighbors pass by the shell of a house that has burned. I believe I once saw in Maryland that when houses caught fire and the fire is out, fire departments made the house as safe as possible and then walked the neighbors through. Most accidental fires and all suspicious fires involve the human factor.
The more that we know, the better we know what to look for. Situational awareness is the key.
