What is "origin and cause"?
Fire origin & cause determination is a branch of what we call causation forensics, and is the applied science of finding out where, how, and why a fire has occurred. It also very often involves an analysis of a fire's effects and damages on property and life.

By carefully observing - and accurately interpreting - smoke, heat, and fire effects on combustibles and other materials like metals, a fire cause specialist is guided to what is known as the "area of origin" of a fire.

Within this area the fire began, and the specialist then sorts through it in search of potential ignition sources, examining each closely.

Once all the potential ignition sources are found, the weeding out process begins, and an ignition source which best fits the fire's circumstances is finally identified as the others are ruled out. This methodology applies to just about any fire scene, whether it be in a car, a boat, a house, or a factory.

Isn't determining a fire cause the fire department's job?
The fire department has a lot of jobs, and determining a fire cause is usually one of them. But although firefighters are trained in fighting fires, few fire departments have the resources for training their personnel in chemistry, electricity, and other technical aspects of fire causation. In addition, a legal line is being drawn between fire causes of criminal interest and of civil interest which limits the scope of their investigations.

If the fire was intentional, the public fire official must prove a crime was committed, but only rarely are criminal charges actually filed - 84% of arson cases typically remain unsolved on a yearly basis.

Who else investigates fires?
Private specialists also determine the origin and cause of fires.

These forensic specialists are usually independent contractors with an engineering or engineering-related background who analyze fires or a fire's affects for insurance companies, attorneys, private individuals and companies. Their origin and cause determinations are typically conducted with the cooperation of the local fire department and municipal investigators.

The independent forensic specialist's focus is technical in nature and more detail-oriented, and is especially useful for potential "subrogation" cases and fires of a technical nature (electrical failures, for example).

What's a "causation forensic specialist"?
Though most people are familiar with criminal forensics, just about any type of occupation can become a "forensic" one. There are forensic pathologists, forensic biologists, even forensic accountants. "Forensics" deals with arguing your case, whatever your expertise may be, in court.

Forensic specialists are usually technically trained in physical sciences, having also become qualified through further experience and training to argue about the physical causes of fires and accidents.

In the past few years many engineering firms have ventured into the technical forensics of fire investigation because of this field's newly found popularity. Though many of these firms have been around for years engaged in various engineering projects, their actual expertise in investigating fires may actually be quite limited. In causation forensics, experience really does matter - and FACTS has focused on this field full-time for more than a quarter century.

What's "subrogation"?
If an appliance fails and causes a fire, or if a repairman does shoddy work and a fire results, insurance companies will occasionally demand reparation for the ensuing damages in an action known as subrogation, and many times they'll use an independent forensic specialist's report to convince the other insurance company that their insured was responsible, in a specific way, for the fire.

If a hair dryer catches fire, for example, the forensic fire specialist must determine not only that the dryer caused the fire, but he must also be able to explain the technical details of how the hair dryer failed and why. Based on the report, the manufacturer's insurance company will then be asked by the homeowner's insurance company to pay for the damages.

The manufacturer's insurance company will typically retain its own fire expert to review the other's report and evidence, and the case is then settled or argued later in court.

What about intentionally-set fires?
After an intentionally-set fire (the crime of arson) is investigated by the fire department or fire marshal, the case may or may not get the support of the district or state attorney, depending on the strength of the evidence.

If it does go to criminal trial, the evidence presented to a jury must be able to overcome the "reasonable doubt" standard which applies to innocence or guilt. The conviction rate nationwide for arson-related crimes remains consistently around 2%. In contrast, occasionally a person may be wrongly accused, and in their situation an independent fire cause specialist's technical findings may be crucial for their defense.

In fires set for insurance money, there's an additional barrier for arsonists. If a fire is intentionally-set but no charges are filed or the insured otherwise escapes criminal prosecution, independent fire cause specialists often provide the insurance company with an extra safety net by determining the specifics of how the fire was started.

Based on the specialist's technical report and the background information their own internal SIU (Special Investigations Unit) or private investigators provide, an insurance company may deny the insurance claim of losses resulting from the fire.

In such a case, though, a civil trial can result and the insurance company must prove that it had reason to believe that the fire was intentionally-set for insurance fraud. Independent fire causation specialists are often involved on both sides in these cases to argue their positions.

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