Origin & Cause

Examination and analysis of fires and explosions of unknown origin are generally first made by an Origin & Cause Investigator. These are technical experts trained in fire investigation methodology using a systematic approach as described by NFPA 921.

Investigators are licensed by the state or other jurisdiction either as private investigators or as engineers. Further qualification and certification is made by professional organizations. See our Professional  page for these groups.    more

Consultants have a particular skill or knowledge that may be relevant to an incident. Consultants are not licensed.

We are associated with top investigators who are licensed and certified.

Scientific Method

NFPA 921 Guide for Fire & Explosion Investigations is the industry recognized guide of investigations. It outlines the seven steps of the scientific method.

1.  Identify the problem.
2.  Define the problem.
3.  Collect data.
4.  Analyze the data.
5.  Develop a hypothesis (inductive).
6.  Test the hypothesis (deductive).
7.  Repeat steps 3 to 6 until select a final hypothesis.

Testing can be either physically or analytically. 

Forensic

Definition:
relating to the use of science and technology in the investigation and establishment of facts or evidence in a court of law

Engineers

Engineers have three separate and distinct roles in investigations.

1.  On-Site 
Under NFPA 921 Article 14.5, engineers are retained to assist Origin & Cause investigators in specialized fields. As such, engineers perform on-site incident analysis with one of three objectives in mind:
A.  Identify cause
B.  Rule out cause
C.  Establish a record for liability issues.

2.  Joint Inspection
After the Origin & Cause investigators have identified an area of origin, engineers representing all potential interested parties perform a joint inspection of the item of origin. This generally involves destructive testing of suspect items. The inspection provides the go: no-go decision of the case.

3.  Lab
For smaller incidents where there is little question of the origin, the incident equipment will be sent to the Lab for analysis of its possible contribution to the incident.  This is a cost effective practice for low loss incidents that can aid in substantial recovery. Our lab is top-notch.

All work is under a licensed engineer who is also a certified fire & explosion investigator.

X-ray

Specialized services are used for some investigations and inspections. Digital X-ray services are available as required.

About You

Whether O&C, engineering, or lab services, we are the cost-effective, one-stop resource.

For more information see our Failure Analysis page.    more