Examples of how fires can start naturally:
- Chemical reactions
- Sun ray’s
- Lightening
- Rodents eating through wires
Police responsibilities at an Arson
- Conduct the criminal investigation or coronial enquiry
- Undertake responsibility for the protection, collection and recording of forensic evidence
- The collection and removal of material from fire crime scene will only be done by Police or other agency with authority
- The preservation and analysis of any material is the Police responsibility.
FILO responsibilities
- Attending every fire that results in serious injury or death
- Co-coordinating fire investigations in their district
- Arranging Police attendance
- Maintaining effective working relationships with the relevant Fire Service Investigation Liaison Officer (FSILO)
- Ensure communication
- Coordinating fire investigation training and advice
Fire Service Investigation Liaison Officers (FSILO) responsibilities: - Fire
- Arranging for FSILO attendance
- Establish and maintain effective working relationship with relevant groups
Common methods of starting fires
- Matches
- Candles
- Cigarettes
- Chemical starters
- Timing devices
- Molotov cocktails
- Electrical appliances
- Trailers
Non intentional causes of fires
- Carelessness
- Faults
- Nature
What evidence to look for at a scene which may point towards a wilful cause?
- Containers
- Traces of debris
- Smell
- Unusually rapid spread
- Uneven burning
- Removal of valuable property
What information to obtain from fire incident controller on arrival at suspicious fire
- Time and date of call
- State of fire when the fire service arrived
- What action has been taken
- Available information
- Alterations to scene
- Opinions
12 GENERAL ENQUIRIES in respect of fires NOT involving explosives
- Submit ESR items ASAP
- OR
- Obtain reports
- Consider media release/informing staff
- Plan enquires and do interviews
- Area canvas
- Consider motive
- Contact insurance company
- Consider pyromaniac (prevention needed)
- Inform intel and FILO
- Establish weather at time of fire
- Maintain contact with owner
12 SUSPECT ENQUIRIES in respect of fires not involving explosives
- Means of ID suspects
- Possible suspects
- Investigate suspects (background)
- Consider surveillance
- Complete enquiries
- Consider search warrant
- Interview
- ID parade or montage
- Enquiries to corroborate or negate suspects explanation
- Advise supervisor
- Arrest
- File
5 step INITIAL ACTION for fires involving explosives
- Consider secondary device
- Do not use cellphones, radios or other transmitting device
- Evacuate to distance of 100m
- When IED located get assistance from Department of Labour
- SITREPS
3 steps to EXAMINING SCENE of a fire involving explosives
- Conduct scene exam (once safe)
- Continually reconstruct
- Request attendance of ESR
5 steps for area enquiries
- Send staff to interview people
- Prelim interview with owner
- Note the owners demeanour
- Complete interviews and FWS
- SITREP supervisor
6 stages of fire scene control, notification and handover
- The fire service has authority over the scene until threat to life or property no longer exists
- Fire will notify Police if needed.
- Police investigating will confer with incident controller
- Fire will not hand over until scene is safe
- For any fire scene involving multiple agencies, all will consult and develop plan
- Plan will include outline of how to proceed
Particular matters the Specialist Fire Investigator will liaise and pass onto FILO
- Handover of scene
- Access to scene
- Process for examination and investigation
- Identification and collection of evidence at the fire scene
Investigation steps
- Info gathering
- Scene exam
- Debris exam
- Product exam
- Analysis and testing
- Opinion formulation
- Reporting data and opinions
The person in charge of the Fire Service at a fire confers the right to:
- Enter private property when on fire
- Close roads
- Remove vehicles impeding fire service
- Remove people in danger or interfering
- Do anything else necessary for the protection of life and property
*NOT police powers. They can exercise if called upon to do so
Fire scene safety
Investigators often find themselves:
- Searching through an unstable structure
- Excavating the scene to identify the cause
To identify the best method of protection at a fire scene you must consider:
- An assessment of the risks
- A strategy to prevent an occurrence or mitigate the impact
Scene security considerations for Police:
- Ensuring the scene is not interfered with
- Exclusion and control of on lookers and owners
- Preserving evidence
- Preventing looting
Attending Police should be aware of ___ at an arson scene
- Re ignition from hot spots
- Watch for suspects
- Identify witnesses
- Inform O/C of anything relevant
What points should be considered to assist in scene preservation?
- Scope (How much of area needs to be preserved)
- Cordon
- Common approach path
- Where it is difficult to preserve the scene (sketch,photograph)
- Personnel
Conferences must be held during the scene examination to assist you with:
- Assessing information obtained
- Reconstructing
- Establishing possible motives
- Identifying suspects
- Planning further enquiries
What does a conference form?
The conference forms the basis of your scene examination and risk assessment planning.
