Responsibilities of the FILO
- attending every scene that results in SI or death
- co-ordinating fire investigations in the area or district
- arranging police attendance at fire scenes where required.
- maintaining effective working relationships with the relevant fire service investigation liaison officer(FSILO) and fire service specialist fire investigators.
- assisting areas it districts with fire investigation-related queries.
Specialist fire investigators
When will they be called to attend and investigate?
- Fires where fatalities occur
- Fires where serious (LT) fire related injury has occurred
- structure fires where the cause is suspicious or cannot be determined.
- significant fire spread across a property boundary.
- fires in building were built in fire safety features have failed, or not performed to known expected standards.
Common method of setting fires
- Candles
- Chemical lighters ( potassium permanganate, sugar, glycerine)(potassium chloride, sugar, sulphuric acid-fire fudge).
- Electrical apparatus - bar heater facing wall or furniture, iron left in surface, pop up toaster with leaver tied down, pan of fat left on stove.
- Electric matches
- Matches and cigarette
- Molotov cocktail
- Timing devices
- Trailers
Molotov cocktail
What can they contain?
- Polystyrene beads
- Rubber bands
- Soap flakes
- Soap powder
- minerals that ignite on impact
Molotov cocktails
What could be evidence of a Molotov cocktail?
- Traces of wick, often in broken neck of bottle.
- pieces of glass bottle.
- pieces of window glass from entry.
- for chemical ignition, traces of tape used to attach chemicals to side of bottle.
- evidence of liquid flowing down walls etc
- evidence of rubber bands, egg white residue.
Timing devices
What are some examples?
- Bottle containing acid suspended above dry ingredients with length of cotton attached to alarm winder of clock.
- Acid placed on a balance with Tim of water at other end. Tiny hole punched in tin and water drips away the balance tips and drops acid into dry ingredients.
- incense stick or matches cut to length to determine timings.
- electric timers
What are trailers?
Can be tags soaked in kerosene and laid from ignition source to site of intended fire.
Non - intentional causes of fire
What are they?
Carelessness
- misusing electricity
- children playing with lighter or matches
- burning off paint
- vagrants lighting fires for warmth
- leaving clothes over heater.
Faults
- chimneys and flues
- heating systems
- appliances
- Televisons left on standby
Nature
- chemical reactions
- the suns rays
- lightning
- rodents eating wires.
Who are witnesses you could interview at scene?
- Person who found the fire
- fire fighters
- occupants and the their visitors
- employees, including cleaning staff
- owners
- neighbours
- spectators
- Passers-by
- local police
- patrols
Where it is difficult to preserve the scene
You should;
- Take sketches
- photos
- draw plans
- video recordings
Personnel
A SFI should be present at all fire scenes police are required to attend. You may also require assistance from
A SFI should be present at all fire scenes police are required to attend. You may also require assistance from:
- FILO
- ESR scientist
- rural fire investigator
- photographer
- fingerprint tech
- explosives inspector
- electrical inspector
- building inspector
- insurance assessor
- accountant
- forensic mapper
- pathologist
Exhibits
What steps should you follow?
- Photo in situ, label the exhibits, and preserve them in containers
- Use approved arson kits if these are available; if not, use any suitable containers such as unused four litre paint tins.
- Take control samples:
- charred timber and ashes or debris from the seat of the fire for examination and comparison with samples from other points.
- any accelerants
- soil from the surrounding area
Evidence of accelerants
- containers
- traces in debris
- smell
- unusually rapid spread or intensity of fire
- uneven burning
- burning under or behind boards where the liquid has run through cracks
