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Kirk's Fire Investigation, 8th Edition

Authors:
David J. Icove at University of Tennessee
David J. Icove
Gerald A. Haynes
Gerald A. Haynes
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Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc. or its aliate(s). All rights reserved. HEFLD4643 JK 08/17
NEW
EDITION!
Kirk’s Fire
Investigation
EIGHT EDITION
David J. Icove
Gerald A. Haynes
ISBN#9780134237923
• Meets the FESHE guidelines for Fire Investigation
and Analysis, with correlations to the 2017
Edition of NFPA 921.
• Provides background for NFPA 1033’s
“Basic Sixteen” knowledge requirements of
the 2014 Edition of NFPA 1033.
• Required reading for re investigation
professional certication programs and
promotional examinations.
• Describes a comprehensive approach to
reconstructing re scenes based on the
combined principles of re protection
engineering along with forensic and
behavioral science.
• Describes the scientic underpinnings of how
re patterns are produced and how they can
be used in assessing re damage and
determining a re’s origin.
What you need to know about Kirk’s Fire Investigation, 8th edition:
... A literatura [5] apresenta uma metodologia para a avaliação sistemática de um local típico de sinistros de engenharia (como um incêndio), baseada no método científico e na Norma Internacional NFPA nº 921 (2017) [6], que pode ser satisfatoriamente aplicada aos demais casos estudados pela Engenharia Forense, a exemplo de um desabamento. ...
... Na maioria dos casos, a destruição pode ser de grande magnitude, não só eliminando vestígios, mas também impedindo que se possa verificar, com segurança, aqueles que são remanescentes. No entanto, mesmo nesses cenários é possível identificar elementos materiais que ofereçam informações sobre o desabamento, por meio da adoção de uma abordagem científica sistemática [5]. ...
... Nessa etapa do método deve-se identificar autoridades, responsáveis e testemunhas que possam fornecer informações importantes a respeito do sinistro [5]. ...
Engenharia diagnóstica aplicada à Perícia Criminal em local de desabamento: um ensaio de carbonatação com o uso de fenolftaleína
Article
Full-text available
  • Mar 2024
Desastres envolvendo edificações e obras na construção civil possuem grande repercussão na sociedade, não somente devido às perdas materiais, mas, principalmente, em razão do impacto gerado nas eventuais vítimas, podendo custar suas vidas, prejudicar o seu bem-estar físico e psicológico e consumir os seus recursos e os de suas famílias. À vista desse panorama, demandas judiciais podem ser levadas à discussão não somente nas áreas cível, trabalhista e previdenciária, mas também na esfera penal. Nesse sentido, a Engenharia Forense, por meio da Engenharia Diagnóstica, tem se mostrado uma grande aliada para esclarecer aos Magistrados questões técnicas necessárias à apuração das causas de um desabamento e de suas responsabilidades. Destarte, o presente trabalho tem por objetivo apresentar os aspectos observados quando da perícia em um local de desabamento ocorrido em um estabelecimento público de saúde, aplicando os princípios da Engenharia Diagnóstica à Perícia Criminal, amparados pelo método científico. Além desses elementos, também foi constatada a viabilidade da realização de um ensaio não destrutivo, barato e de fácil execução com o uso de fenolftaleína, para a determinação da profundidade de carbonatação do concreto — fator que indica o comprometimento da estrutura. Em outro quadrante, também foram identificados aspectos administrativos e de gestão de engenharia que caracterizam condutas que inobservaram o dever objetivo de cuidado, podendo estabelecer nexo de causalidade entre essa inobservância e os resultados lesivos dela advindos.
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... The commitment within this discipline to conducting scientific scene examinations has resulted in improvement in the reliability of fire origin and cause determinations [22]. There are now manuals and guidelines produced by various leading forensic technical groups for the investigation of fire scenes [23], and as detailed in "Kirk's Fire Investigation" (refer 1.7.8 "Authoritative Scientific Testing"), multiple standards have been published for the range of scientific tests that are applicable to fire investigation, such as the analysis of fire debris samples [24]. However, research on the reliability and validity of the discipline, standardisation of education, training and method application, and cognitive bias are required [25]. ...
... Additionally, the results of laboratory analyses of samples that have been collected from the fire scene (i.e. for the presence of ignitable liquid residues) will also be considered. The examination of structural fires requires knowledge of the dynamics of fires and how they can develop and spread [24,36]. The interpretation of burn and smoke patterns is routinely considered in reaching conclusions on the point of origin of fires and the cause of ignition. ...
... Physical evidence present at fire scenes which may build support for the possibility that the fire may have been deliberately lit [24] was frequently found at fire scenes. Burn patterns (i.e. ...
The forensic examination of structural fires in Victoria, Australia: Decision-making processes and impact on judicial outcomes
Article
  • Mar 2021
  • SCI JUSTICE
There is a body of published research that has evaluated the contribution of forensic science to the criminal justice system, but many disciplines of forensic science remain unexplored in this regard. The aim of this study was to examine the contribution that forensic fire examination services provide to criminal investigations and court processes in arson cases. Forensic fire examination services differ in a number of ways to the disciplines covered in previous research on the impact of forensic evidence on justice outcomes. Forensic fire examinations involve a combination of scene examination and laboratory analyses, and the results can provide critical evidence of whether an incident that has occurred is a criminal offence (i.e. whether a fire has occurred as the result of an act of arson). Forensic fire examination is also a discipline that has faced challenges and undergone development in recent decades regarding its scientific basis and the issue of contextual bias. In this study, data were collated for 273 structural fires that were examined by the forensic fire services in Victoria, Australia. In this jurisdiction, scene and laboratory forensic services are delivered within short time frames with a focus on providing impartial scientific and investigative services to assist criminal investigations conducted by police. The current dataset was highly skewed in terms of criminal justice outcomes and was not suitable for conducting the planned statistical analyses. Nonetheless, the pattern of findings obtained suggested that the inclusion of forensic evidence which supported the prosecution of arson may be associated with an increased likelihood of suspects being charged and defendants found guilty. Examination of the decision-making process of the forensic fire examiners has provided insight into the variety of evidence that is considered by forensic experts in reaching the important conclusion about the origin and cause of structural fires.
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... As the penalty of arson is so high the evidence must be unambiguous 8 Ignition of a fire is a result of a series of simultaneous chemical, oxidative and exothermic reactions. 9 A tetrahedron represents the four key principles required to start a fire; oxygen, heat, fuel and chain reaction. Isolation or removal of one of these factors will result in fire extinguishment (Figure 1). 9 There are 5 main stages to a fire; Pre-heat, Early growth, Flashover, Steady state and Decay. ...
... Isolation or removal of one of these factors will result in fire extinguishment (Figure 1). 9 There are 5 main stages to a fire; Pre-heat, Early growth, Flashover, Steady state and Decay. 9 It is important to understand these stages, as each stage will not only have a different detrimental effect on fingerprints and DNA, but also causes physical changes to the surfaces that they adhere to (Table 1) Evidently, the more smoke there is the more soot deposition will occur; the soot fuses to the ridge detail in the print. Thus, protecting the print from extreme temperatures and flames, preserving the unique pattern. ...
... As the temperature increase and flames spread, soot can be burnt off in a process known as 'clean burning'. 9 This is when oxidation reactions occur and the carbon dioxide in the soot is used as a fuel to burn. 9 This can be detrimental to any DNA or fingerprints that are directly exposed to such conditions; this often occurs at the flashover stage. ...
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... Interestingly, Forensic Fire Scene Reconstruction (Icove, DeHaan, & Haynes, 2013) and Kirk's Fire Investigation (Icove & Haynes, 2018) description, an explanation of the fire dynamics that produce that pattern, the appropriate interpretation of the pattern, and the limitations of that fire pattern. ...
DIRECTIONAL FIRE PATTERNS FORMED BY CONVECTION CURRENTS IN THE UPPER LAYER OF A COMPARTMENT FIRE
Thesis
Full-text available
  • Jul 2024
Fire pattern recognition and identification is a fundamental part of fire investigations. In order to avoid unintentional bias, the interpretation of fire patterns should be validated, and their limitations known. This study introduces a fire pattern that has been observed at real-world fire scenes, but not yet documented in fire investigation treatises. The fire pattern had been observed on objects that protrude into the upper layer of a compartment fire. This mixed-methods study consisted of physical experiments, computational fluid dynamics models, and statistical analysis, which were designed to replicate these types of patterns, identify its characteristics, validate its interpretation, and acknowledge its limitations. These directional fire patterns, described as “turbulent flow patterns,” were found to be good indicators of the direction that the products of combustion came from, provided that they are not in an area that an eddy is be expected to form. The study also verifies the presence of convection currents in the upper layer of a compartment fire that are independent of the dominant flow path. The information presented in this study is relevant to fire/arson investigators who use fire patterns to determine the area of origin of a fire. The conclusion section of this study provides recommended practices for fire investigators to identify, assess, document, and interpret turbulent flow patterns.
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... An ignitable liquid is defined as 'any liquid or the liquid phase of any material that is capable of fuelling a fire, including a flammable liquid, combustible liquid, or any other material that can be liquefied and burned'. 25 Ignitable liquids are usually the chosen method to ignite a fire as they are cheap, readily available and volatile, making the liquid easy to ignite. Pouring and spilling accelerants with a direct flame is one of the most commonly detected forms of arson. ...
A critical review of canines used to detect accelerants within an arson crime scene
Article
  • Aug 2021
Accelerant detection canines provide a fundamental role in arson investigations. Statistically, arson and criminal damage accounts for 9 per 1,000 population in the UK.1 Before 1996, fire investigators relied on the olfactory system and basic accelerant detection equipment to locate accelerant traces within arson crime scenes. As a result, canines were adopted as their superior olfactory system was producing precise detections than those of technical equipment. This review proposes that despite their strong sense of smell, the accuracy of detections remains fundamentally unanswered. Although current literature demonstrates extraordinary results from accelerant detection canines, further developments and critical evaluations are required to ensure the process meets forensic standards of practice.
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... During the investigation, the consultants focus the attention on for main aspects: (I) the fire ignition causes, (II) the starting point, (III) the fire development modality and (IV) the temperature reached by the fire [1][2][3]. The investigation of these points often requires a lot of information related to the consequences of the flames in the area involved in the fire (fire patterns) and the witnesses present in the accident place. ...
How to Use Metallurgical Analysis for Fire Investigation: The Case of AISI 316 Stainless Steel
Article
Full-text available
  • Mar 2022
In this work, fire simulations were carried out on AISI 316 austenitic stainless steel sheets (similar to EN X5CrNiMo17-12-2), usually employed for the production of flue pipes. The thermal alteration induced by the fire was simulated by heating samples at different temperatures (from 20°C to 1050°C) and for different exposure times (1 h and 6 h) in a laboratory furnace. The metallurgical investigation concerned the surface coloring by photographic analysis; the morphology and chemical composition of the surface oxides by SEM and EDS; the microstructure as a function of temperature by LOM. The influence of the different parameters was discussed by a statistical ANOVA approach. The obtained results allowed to associate each temperature to one or more alterations in color, to the morphology and the chemical composition assumed by the surface oxides, as well as to the microstructure of the steel.
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... After a fire, the investigation always focuses on three main aspects: (i) discover the fire origin, (ii) determine the fire cause and (iii) establish the responsibility for the fire [2,3]. ...
Metallurgical Analysis as a Useful Method for Fire Investigation: the Case of Galvanized Steel Sheets
Article
Full-text available
  • Aug 2021
In this work, fire simulations were carried out on zinc-coated steel sheets usually employed for the structural parts of furniture, transformer rooms and aeration pipes. The thermal alteration induced by the fire was simulated by heating samples at 13 different temperatures (from 20° C to 1050° C) and for different exposure times (1 h and 6 h) in a laboratory furnace. The metallurgical investigation concerned the surface coloring by photographic analysis, the morphology and chemical composition of the surface oxides by SEM and EDS and the microstructure modifications as a function of the temperature by LOM. The influence of the different parameters was discussed by a statistical approach. The obtained results allowed to associate the temperature to one or more alteration of the steel microstructure and of the color, the morphology and the chemical composition of the surface oxides.
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Computer Fire Modeling and the Law: Application to Forensic Fire Engineering Investigations
Article
Full-text available
  • Jul 2021
Computer fire modeling can be a two-edged tool in forensic fire engineering investigations. Professional standards of care recommend that fire modeling’s primary use is in examining multiple hypotheses for a fire as opposed to determining its origin. This paper covers the current acceptable benefits of computer fire models, historical and pending legal case law, and methods to use modeling results within expert reports and testimony. Particular issues reviewed are the use of animations versus simulations, evidentiary guidelines, and authentication using verification and validation studies.
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State of the Arc (Mapping)
Article
Full-text available
  • Jul 2021
NFPA 921 Guide for Fire and Explosion Investigations considers the technique arc mapping to be one of the methodologies used in isolating a fire’s origin and spread. Provided the technique is used properly and understanding its limitations, it is a tool for investigators. Synthesized here is the latest peer-reviewed research and discussions on the implications of increased use of ground- and arc-fault circuit interrupters on arc mapping analysis. Incorporated are case studies and evaluations of recent legal decisions. The goal is to arm investigators with what’s needed to maximize the arc mapping’s efficacy and best present its use and results.
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A aplicação do protocolo NFPA 1033 no exame pericial de explosão: o caso da fogueira de Osasco-SP
Article
Full-text available
  • May 2020
O presente trabalho consiste em um relato de experiência a respeito da utilização do protocolo NFPA 1033 em uma perícia de local de explosão. Para tanto, aplicaram-se ao exame pericial as etapas pertinentes do referido padrão metodológico, sendo possível estabelecer as causas do sinistro. No presente relato são discutidos os aspectos e as dificuldades na aplicação da metodologia que culminaram na confirmação de sua importância como um protocolo padrão de atuação na realização de exames periciais de incêndio e explosão. Palavras-Chave: Explosão. Incêndio. Engenharia legal. Perícia Criminal. NFPA.
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