By Doug Leihbacher

Every fire investigator working for an insurance company knows the obstacles involved with receiving a late assignment and arriving two or three days after a fire to find that the scene has been altered or cleaned up. Under these circumstances, it is very difficult to accurately reconstruct the scene without the help of someone who was present. Often, the individuals who have the opportunity to observe a fire scene in its earliest and most pristine condition are the first arriving firefighters. They can provide valuable information about what they encountered when they arrived at the fire. An eye-witness account from an individual trained in fire behavior can resolve many conflicting fire indicators. While it is customary to contact the local fire marshal, speaking with the firefighters is often overlooked.

Unfortunately, the very act of extinguishing and overhauling a fire will alter the scene. Hoselines push heat and flames and alter the internal pressures inside the structure. Search, extinguishment, and salvage procedures require the moving of furniture and contents. Overhaul operations often include the breaching of walls and ceilings as well as the removal of combustibles to the exterior. Under these circumstances, even an early arriving investigator may not get a true picture of the fire scene or burn patterns.

Most firefighters find that fighting a fire is an intensive experience that often leaves vivid and enduring impressions. Direct involvement in something as immediate as a structural fire stimulates one’s attention and acuity. As a result, firefighters can often provide a detailed account of the fire they fought to the investigator who takes the opportunity to speak with them. In some cases, their observations can fill in missing pieces of the puzzle, which will provide a more accurate account of the fire scene.

It should be noted, however, that while most firefighters are forthcoming in sharing their observations and impressions, they are trained not to discuss the cause of the fire with the press or with persons they do not know. It is therefore necessary to obtain permission to interview fire-crew members from the fire chief’s office or the department’s fire investigation unit. It is also advisable to bring some form of identification such as a business card and explain your reason for speaking to them from the outset.

In order to get a comprehensive picture of the fire at its early stages as well as how it developed, it is advisable to speak to both the fire chief as well as the first arriving engine and ladder company officers. The fire chief should be interviewed first. The chief makes a size up of the initial fire conditions from the exterior. He attempts to get a comprehensive and overall view of the scene. He is also legally responsible for determining the cause of the fire in many jurisdictions. Your willingness to assist the chief in this endeavor and to share any resources you may have at your disposal may predispose him to be cooperative. Some questions that might be posed to the chief include:

• How and when was the initial alarm transmitted, (911 call, central station alarm, etc.)?
• When did the first responding unit(s) arrive on the scene?
• What stage was the fire in when the first units arrived, (incipient, smoldering, open flame, fully developed, etc.)?
• Were there any alarms sounding upon arrival?
• Did the smoke detectors activate?
• What was the nature and color of the smoke?
• What was the extent of open flame?
• How fast did the fire spread?
• What factors contributed to the speed of fire spread?
• Was the fire fought from the outside or the inside?
• Did the fire reach the flashover stage?
• How soon was the fire brought under control?
• What was utilized to extinguish the fire, (number of hoselines, foam, dry chemical, etc.)?
• Was the sprinkler and/or standpipe system working properly? If not, what was the problem?
• Did the fire department shut off any sprinkler valves?
• What were the weather conditions?
• Were there any brown outs or power surges prior to the fire?
• What was the wind direction and speed?
• Was the building occupied or vacant?
• Were the utilities on at the time of the fire?
• Did the fire department shut off the gas or electrical utilities?
• Did anything unusual happen during the fire?
• Were there any injuries to civilians, pets, or Fire Department personnel?
• Have there been any previous fires at the address, or in the neighborhood?
• Was anything removed from the scene by Fire Department personnel after the fire?
• Were any vehicles seen leaving the scene?
• Did the Department’s photographer respond to the fire?
• In your opinion, what caused the fire and why?

In many cases, a discussion with the fire chief will be sufficient. However, the first arriving engine and ladder companies can provide additional valuable insight regarding the initial interior conditions, as well as a detailed description of the area of origin. Some questions that might be posed to the first arriving firefighters could include:

• Was there any evidence of forcible entry prior to their arrival, or was the building locked and secured?
• If forcible entry was performed by the department, where was it performed?
• Where did they initially encounter fire?
• What was the initial level of the flames, (floor level, midway up the wall, or ceiling level)?
• Was there more than one fire?
• Where did the initial attack on the fire begin?
• Were there any holes cut in the walls, floors or ceilings?
• Where was the horizontal and vertical ventilation performed?
• Were there any fire flashbacks, any burning on the surface of the water, or other abnormal fire phenomena?
• Was there any evidence of building contents having been removed prior to the fire?
• Were there any obstructions that hampered progress?
• Were there any odors of a flammable liquid present?

This last question is an important one to ask. Veteran firefighters have well trained noses. Most are able to immediately distinguish the smoke generated from a mattress fire or that generated from food on the stove. Similarly, they can distinguish between the smoke of an incinerator fire, an oil burner or a brush fire, etc. Additionally, they are acutely sensitive to the presence of petrochemical odors like gasoline or diesel fuel.

Firefighters are often quite willing to speak with fire investigators if the investigator goes through the proper channels. Firefighters are dedicated and altruistic by nature and are thus motivated to assist the investigator if they feel it will help to prevent future fires. Since they have no profit motive, they have no reason to mislead an investigator. Thus, the information they provide is usually accurate and trustworthy. In cases where firefighters are unavailable, some of the information needed can be obtained from the fire incident report.

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