Fire Forensics Laboratory

Within our Fire Forensics Laboratory, our methodology includes onsite evidence collection and in-house examination, offering a comprehensive approach to understanding the origin and cause of fires.

Our process starts with the careful collection and preservation of physical evidence from fire scenes and reconstruction of the fire scenes. This data gathering involves identifying the fire's point of origin, documenting fire patterns, and securing potential sources of ignition.

Our experts in the lab use advanced techniques, including fire debris analysis, to examine evidence such as charred materials, accelerants, and chemical residue. We also conduct thorough examinations of electrical systems, appliances, and structural components to trace potential fire causes using state-of-the-art instrumentation, such as gas chromatography and mass spectrometry.

We follow set protocols and standards, ensuring the validity of findings during legal proceedings. The use of manual expertise along with scientific techniques provides valuable insights to determine the cause of fires for insurance claims, legal proceedings, and safety improvements.

Determining the Origin of Fire: It involves identifying the point from where the fire started and is determined by examining the extent of damage, as the heaviest damage occurs at or near the fire's point of origin. Our experts analyze fire patterns, evaluate charred and burned areas, examine glass fractures, and assess the condition of vehicles or appliances on the premises to establish the origin of the fire. There may be chances of more than one point of fire origin indicating intentional fire setting, such as arson.

Determining the Root Cause of Fire: Fire in a vehicle or premises could be accidental or intentional, so it is essential to understand and identify factors and circumstances that led to the fire. A careful inspection, along with an analysis of power and heat sources detected at or near the point of origin of the fire, is done to establish the root cause of the fire.

Chemical Examination of Debris from the Fire Scene: Debris collected from the fire scene after authentication undergoes chemical examination to determine the possibility of intentional or unintentional fire, contributing to the successful resolution of the case. However, this examination is optional and is done on the client’s request only.

Investigation Kit: This kit includes essential tools like barricading tape, measuring tape, tongs, tweezers, forceps, pliers, a screwdriver, and more to access crime scenes. It also includes gloves, masks, and goggles for safety purposes. Marking boards and various packaging materials are included to mark and later lift and pack exhibits found at crime scenes.

DSLR Camera: It is used to capture high-quality photographic and video evidence at crime scenes, supporting reports and findings presented during legal proceedings.

Stereo Zoom Microscope: This tool aids in observing a magnified view of electrical wires collected from the incident scene. Each wire sample is cleaned for microscopic analysis and photographed.

TLC Kit: It consists of a TLC chamber, TLC plates, and various chemicals, facilitating the chemical examination of fire debris. It also helps in determining the presence or absence of petroleum products.

Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrophotometer (GC-MS): It is recognized as the standard for identifying ignitable liquids in fire debris from incident scenes, and this instrumentation technique is known for its accuracy and efficiency.