Fire Inquiry Passage Blow-Up - Case Study Example

Fire Investigation Name of Student Date of Submission Fire Investigation Fire investigation is a process of examining all the possible incidents that would be the cause of fire. It is done once the fire fighters have completely extinguished the fire. This process is same as examining the crime scene where one has to collect and analyze all the evidences to reach the core reason of the incident. However in fire investigation this examination is much more difficult as the investigators have to closely examine the damaged scene to find the origin of fire and then investigate and reach the cause. To effectively investigate the fire scene it is imperative that the investigators are well trained and have full knowledge of fire chemistry, its behavior and possible effects. To know the exact cause of fire the investigators has to use and rely on different techniques and observations ranging from determining the smallest signs of flames to chemical testing and observing satellite images. In general many scientific methods are used to investigate including determining whether arson has occurred or not. This means exploring that whether the fire was set purposefully to harm or destroy any property or evidences. This of course is quite difficult because fire usually destroy all the key origins of the cause. Usually the most common reasons behind these incidents are the defective equipment or faulty electric wires. Similarly faulty fuel lines are the major reason of car fires and spontaneous combustion is usually caused by stored organic wastes[Cha093]. Fire Dynamics Until 1980s science has nothing to do with fire investigation process however now we use scientific methods to determine the cause of fire. The first thing fire investigators do is to find the “origin” i.e. from where exactly the fire comes from. The point of origin could a room of the house or even the smallest place that you can identify. After finding the origin the investigators look for the things that could serve as ignition source such as a flare, campfire or a curved glass that act as a magnifying glass. They test all the evidences logically and scientifically to prove whether they were involved in fire incident or not. The fire investigator gathers information by looking at the remains and then constructs the sequence of events that eventually cause the fire[Nia04]. One of the main challenges for fire investigators is the presence of multiple ignition sources. Here they have to use their multidisciplinary skill. As there could be more than one possible reason for fire, the fire investigator must be fully aware with the behavior of fire as well as having working understanding of different machines, construction, electricity and human behaviors. The investigator should know different appliances well to determine whether they were present near the gas origin or nor and what function they can perform in ignition. While examining electrical appliances fire investigators take help of forensic electrical engineers to reach the conclusion easily and scientifically. Therefore it is necessary that for successful fire investigation there should be well acknowledged and skilled investigators[Tor12]. Fire Investigation Process Actions and investigation that take part on the fire or arson scene are quite important as they could play an important part in solving a case. It is pivotal that examination should be very careful and through so that the physical evidences will not be destroyed or ruin. In addition careless investigation might overlook several potential evidences. Different fire agencies have different programs and personnel training to investigate the arson scene. These programs and resources vary from authority to authority. Usually these agencies are assisted by National Institute of Justice which provides the legal law enforcement experts. They are accompanied with expert fire investigators that carry out the whole investigation process and collect evidence from the fire scene. The role of fire safety personnel is quit critical as they not only save lives but also try to locate the source so that such incidents could be avoided in future. For that they should perform the following steps in order to carry out a successful investigation[Ros122]. Exercise Scene Safety Basic Principal and Procedure Safety comes first as it override all other concerns. The first duty of the first responder/safety personnel is to ensure the safety of victims, bystanders and general public. It is the duty of first responder to identify and remove all the things that can further cause explosion or fire. This practice is important to save people as well avoid injuries to themselves. This can be done by establishing safety/hazard zone, evaluating the area for safety such as structural collapse or electrical/chemical combustion and communicating the other personnel with the potential safety hazards. So it the duty of first respondents to observe, identify and evaluate the possible scene hazards to save victims and themselves from further damage[Iaf12]. Observing the Fire and Scene Situation Basic Principal and Procedure: The first responsibility of fire safety personnel who are the first responders to fire is to observe all the condition and activities near the fire scene. This helps them to give a clear description of the scene to the investigators coming after. The accurate description will make it easier for the investigator to use better approach for determining the exact cause of fire. After approaching the fire scene the fire personnel should observe and report all the conditions and activities. He has to first mentally report these observations and as soon as the conditions allow he must transform them into permanent documents. These documents may contain written notes, video recordings or voice tapes etc. Preserve the Fire Scene Principle: Another most important role of the fire responders is to preserve all the evidence. This is because some evidences could disappear in efforts of rescuing people. First respondents must understand that they should perform the rescue efforts keeping in mind not to waste important clues. They should clearly assess the scene, take initial steps to preserve important clues and inform the related authorities with their existence. It is very important for the fire rescuers to establish control and security so that they can perform all their roles effectively and efficiently. The key to successful investigation is all that the activities should be coordinated and there must an effective communication between all the personnel. Only then the evidences can be preserved and accurate conclusion can be made[Dav96]. Fire Investigation Reports CASE I: South Canyon Fire The Occurrence On July 1994, in Colorado Glenwood Springs, the weather was humid and the temperature was record high. All of a sudden the lightening ignited struck and there was fire everywhere. The center point of this fire was thought to be South Canyon afterwards it was found that fire originated from the base of Storm King Mountain. Initially the fire scorched primarily in the juniper pinyon which is a firewood, it was supposed to have little prospective for dispersion. Further it as also reported that the lightning storm had initiated 40 new fire junctions in the BLM Grand District which was present in the South Canyon. This was the time for the fire fighters to take action and set priorities based on life threatening structures, places and utilities or any other object which possess the highest potential for spreading. Gradually in the next two days the South Canyon Fire increased and the concerns started raising, hence to tackle this the initial attack equipment was called. Two engines were called by the District for seizing the fire but they also decided to wait until the morning for hiking the fire before initiating the firefighting efforts. Hence by morning a team of seven Forest service crew were called in who spend more than two hours to seize fire. Moreover a helicopter was also called for marking a fire line on their southwest arena. In daytime a retardant was sprayed by the air tanker on the fire. The smoke jumpers were busy in creating fire line and during this course of time the fire crossed its initial stage for which a new fire line construction instructions were forwarded. After mid-night the workers stopped their work due to the dangers of rolling rocks which were not visible after darkness[Joh003]. July 5, Tactical Map [USD2] Tactical Map Photo [USD2] Next day winds started increasing which increased the fire activity and allowed fire to have rapid runs making it spread around 100 foot flame distances within the current burn. The fire spread and caught the west drainage system and spread to the east sideways too. The firefighters were now moving both above and below land, on to the steep slopes and also into the thick forests of Gambel Oak. There was no way to stop this fire it was increasing towards the hills top which eventually took twelve fire fighters with it. Two firefighters died on top of the edge when they were outstripping the fire[USD2]. July 6, Tactical Map [Cha093] The Investigation A team was formed for investigating the entire scenario of South Canyon fire, the cause and the fatality sites. The team interviewed 70 witnesses and formulated a report discussing the fire behaviors. It was found that fuel present at any place have the ability to initiate fire within seconds. The hot and humid weather ignited the oaks while the winds which started on the next day increased this fire area. The steep topography having deep slopes increased the fire behavior[Ste032]. Fire Blowup [Nia04] Incident Management and Safety It was decided to design some escape routes or safety zones which are inadequate if any calamity arises again. Proper strategy and tactics must be followed for competing the fire behaviors and supporting team members along the way. The escape route must be created along the west flank fire line for combating any critical situations in future. Protective equipment is necessary for overcoming all these limitations while fighting with fire aggressively but safety should be placed at front foot. It is necessary to remain updated with weather forecasts for handling any such situations and obtain current information on firefighting tools and equipment[Ste15]. Spat Fire approaching Ridge line CASE II: Five London Hospital Fire Events The first event took place on 2nd January, 2008 at Royal Marsden Hospital which is a special cancer hospital. Fire started on the roof and at that time there were 78 patients and approximately 120 outpatients present in the hospital. Some were in intensive care unit while three patients were present in the operation theatre. The situation demanded complete evacuation of the hospital which was successfully completed in 28 minutes due to remarkable leadership and teamwork by staff and fire fighters. Royal Marsden Hospital [Wap09] Second event took place at University College Hospital which is primarily a teaching hospital in London on 25th July, 2008. This site was also used as a trust for various specialist services to the outpatients. The fire started in the middle of the night when there were no patients present in the building. Fire initiated in the basement which disturbed structure present in the ground. The nearby buildings were also affected which also includes some networking cables and pathology pneumatic tube system was also damaged. University College Hospital [Wap09] Third event took place on 29th September, 2008 at Great Omond Street Hospital which is a Pediatric referral center. The fire alarm got activated on fifth floor which was the cardiac wing and smoke began to spread into the neighboring wards. All of a sudden an oxygen cylinder exploded which cause a ceiling to collapse. As a result the water leaked on to the floors which blocked the wards and the passage ways and entire floor. Great Omond Street Hospital [Wap09] Fourth event occurred on 11th February, 2009 at North London Forensic Hospital which is a General District Hospital. The fire alarms started from Camlet 3. The fire squad arrived there within ten minutes by then fire spread rapidly and patients were being moved to nearby buildings. It spread within few hours and the complete premises was under fire throughout night. It was extinguished the next day. North London Forensic Hospital [Wap09] Fifth Hospital affected was the Nortwick Park Hospital (NPH) on 11t February, 2009, the hospital provide general services and is also a maternity unit serving a range of outpatients. Early afternoon a fire broke out in electrical plant room which was followed by the partial evacuation of the hospital. It was full and patients were occupying 95% beds, a major incident was declared within 15 minutes and evacuation was started. The hospital staff showed extraordinary teamwork for complete patient evacuation[Wap09]. Nortwick Park Hospital (NPH) [Wap09] References Chandler, 2009. Fire Investigation. s.l.:Cengage Learning. Daeid, N. N., 2004. Fire Investigation. s.l.:CRC Press. Foley, S. N., 2003. Resources for Fire Department Occupational Safety and Health. s.l.:Jones & Bartlett Learning. Gardner, R. M., 2012. Practical Crime Scene Processing and Investigation, Second Edition. s.l.:Taylor & Francis. Iafc, 2012. Fundamentals of Fire Fighter Skills. s.l.:Jones & Bartlett Publishers. Maclean, J. N., 2000. Fire on the Mountain: The True Story of the South Canyon Fire. s.l.:Simon and Schuster. MANAGEMENT, U. D. O. T. I. B. O. L., 1998. The South Canyon Fire Investigation. [Online] Available at: http://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/fo/crvfo/fire_and_fuels/south_canyon.print.html [Accessed 1 November 2015]. Pyne, S. J., 2015. Between Two Fires: A Fire History of Contemporary America. s.l.:University of Arizona Press. Redsicker, D. R. & O'Connor, J. J., 1996. Practical Fire and Arson Investigation, Second Edition. s.l.:CRC Press. Torero, J., 2012. Fire Safety Journal. [Online] Available at: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/fire-safety-journal/ [Accessed 1 November 2015]. Wapling, A. et al., 2009. NHS London: Review of fi ve London hospital fi res and their management, London: London Fire Brigade and University College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. Read More