ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the role of the fire investigator in different kinds of litigation. There are, unfortunately, a large number of fire investigators who believe that most fires are arsons and that the finding of an ignitable liquid residue is the exception rather than the rule. A significant number of fires are started by clothing dryers or their power supplies every year, but there are a surprisingly small number of fires that start because the heat from the dryer sets the clothes on fire. The loss of electrical power that follows a natural disaster such as a hurricane makes us realize just how much we depend on electricity as an energy source. Ordinary fluorescent lights generally fail uneventfully, but occasionally they start fires. Gas systems and appliances are frequently involved in fires and are sometimes responsible for starting them.
