ABSTRACT
Arson investigators are responsible for determining whether or not a re was intentionally set as a crime or caused by natural or accidental means. Natural res are res that occur by nature, such as by a lightning strike. Accidental res are res that are set without malicious intent, such as dropping a lit cigarette onto a ammable couch after falling asleep. Arson is when a re is intentionally set with criminal intent, such as burning a house down to collect insurance money. When investigating an arson re, indicators such as accelerants and multiple points of origin are often found. During an investigation, indicators such as burn patterns are looked for, which leave clues about the re. Burn patterns can show both the point of origin of a re, as well as the nature of the re. To determine the point of origin, or even multiple points of origin, clues such as low burning, V-patterns of the smoke, the charring of wood, the spalling of plaster or concrete, material distortion, and soot and smoke staining are looked for and documented. These clues can lead an investigator to the source of the re. From here, indicators of arson may include the presence of an accelerant, the elimination of natural or accidental causes of a re, re trails, or even multiple points of origin. All of these clues put together can tell the investigator a story about the nature of the re and help explain how the re started.
