 Hanson, who is the assistant chief for the department, and Ryan
Anderson have been certified fire investigators for three years.
Andy Anderson has been an investigator for two years.
The event the three attended is part of their continuing
education requirement for maintaining their certification.
As investigators, the three men are required to be recertified
every four years. Between recertifications, investigators are
required to accumulate 100 points total among four categories:
training, investigation, court testimony and ride-alongs. Sixty
points must be accumulated in training, 30 points in investigation.
The remaining 10 points can come from ride-alongs or court
testimony.
Fire investigation is a routine part of every fire. According to
Andy Anderson and Hanson (Ryan Anderson was not available for this
interview), every fire that occurs has to be investigated,
regardless of whether or not it is considered suspicious.
When investigating a fire, the entire department and the
community where the fire takes place contribute to the
investigation.
Anderson explained that even as the fire department is arriving
on the scene, firefighters are trained to be observant of their
surroundings. They note who is leaving the scene, if anyone; what
physical items around the fire may look out of place; and who is in
the area watching the fire.
In the case of arson, there are many times when the fire starter
will stay close enough to watch his or her work go up in flames.
Firefighters can catch this if they notice everyone at a fire,
because there may come a time when they see someone they've seen
before.
Folks who live in the vicinity of the fire can also be important
to an investigation. Potential witnesses are often questioned by the
investigators and share what they saw at the onset of the fire, or
even right before.
Hanson said this is all part of the process, to get the story,
and then see if the evidence matches the story.
While firefighters are working to extinguish a fire, they are
also playing a role in the investigation. Hanson said one
misconception is that the department will flood everything with
water. The fact is firefighters are trained in extinguishing fires
with as little water as possible and as little damage to the
structure as possible.
Anderson added there are standard procedures that are required
for firefighter safety, such as breaking windows or chopping holes
in roofs. This is done to get ventilation into the building. This
makes for a safer environment inside the structure for firefighters
or victims who may still be trying to get out of the building.
Beyond what has to be done for safety, the goal of the department
is to get the fire put out without destroying evidence that might
lead to the determination of the cause.
Once the fire is out, the investigators go to work trying to
determine what the cause could have been.
Anderson said the process begins on the outside. The point where
there is the least amount of damage is where they begin, then
methodically work their way into the burned structure to the point
where the fire did the most damage. In most cases, that is the point
of origin.
Along the way and from beginning to end, they use photography to
document what they see and take note of the fine details of the
fire. This includes looking at burn patterns, noticing where
furniture and fixtures are in the house, and later comparing that
with what they hear from a property owner.
Anderson said there are several things that can influence how a
fire works through a building. Something as simple as a change in
the wind can change a burn pattern. Also, with certain types of home
insulation, the fire will travel from its starting point to another
location.
He also noted that is something the firefighters have to watch
out for when they are determining if a fire is completely out. One
of the tools they use to help with this is a thermal imagining
camera that will detect heat even when sparks or flames are not
visible.
Once the investigators have completed their physical assessment
of the structure, their next step is to compare what they've seen
with what they've been told.
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The first indication that something isn't right is when the
stories from witnesses don't match up with the physical evidence.
When the witness accounts and the evidence don't agree, then the
fire department calls in the state fire marshal for further
investigation.
Hanson said once an arson investigator is called, it is his
department's responsibility to keep the scene secured until the
investigator arrives.
"As long as we are on the scene, we have control. But if we
leave, then the property owner has control," Hanson explained.
If arson is suspected, the department does not want to give
anyone an opportunity to alter or remove something that could be
evidence.
Hanson also noted the state investigators don't always come
immediately. He said if no death has occurred, or if the local
investigation doesn't conclude it is obviously arson, the
investigator may not arrive for several hours.
The state fire marshal is a funded program through the state of
Illinois. When the state personnel are called to the scene, there is
no charge for their services to a local department. Hanson said that
is a good reason to use them when the local department isn't certain
they can rule out arson.
And of course, the other reason is they are more experienced and
can make better determinations that will stand up in court if it
comes to pressing criminal charges against someone.
Anderson said there is a relatively small percentage of fires in
the state that are actually arson, and of that small percentage,
only 2 percent of those charged are ever convicted.
Testimony in a court of law from an investigator is crucial to
getting a conviction.
Anderson said testifying in court is the one thing a firefighter
doesn't want to have to do, but it is sometimes necessary. He
explained that at the recent training the fire investigators
attended, an entire day was spent on providing testimony in a court
of law because it is so important when trying to convict.
Another day at the training was devoted to learning the standard
codes associated with firefighting. Hanson said codes for the fire
department are like a lot of other rules or guidelines, constantly
changing and evolving to keep up with current times.
The training also included specific training on identifying
causes of fire.
Anderson said the training is a good event for the investigators
as it acts as a refresher course for what they learned to acquire
their original certification.
To become a certified investigator requires 120 hours of intense
schooling in a consistent three- to four-week session.
Hanson noted the investigators for the Lincoln Rural Fire
District are members of the Central Illinois Fire Investigator
Association and the International Association of Arson
Investigators, the Illinois chapter. He said becoming a part of
these groups expands the local department's knowledge base and gives
them more resources when investigating fires.
For Anderson, he said the experience of becoming an investigator
has been very informative. He said he learned things about fires and
causes that he had never imagined.
The Lincoln Rural Fire Protection District is funded by tax
levies in Logan County. The firefighters serve all of rural Lincoln
and offer their assistance to all local fire departments, including
the city of Lincoln.
[By NILA SMITH] |
