Richard Gleeson
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Oct 10/01) - A methodical approach and an eye for detail are the main tools of those charged with determining the cause of fires.

"There's a lot of clues, it's just a matter of going in there and taking a look at it all," said assistant fire marshall for the South Slave, Kellie Mitchell.

North Slave fire services advisor Steve Moss, who qualified his comments by saying he is still in the process of training as an investigator, said there are not many fires that don't leave clues.

"More often than not, unless the building is absolutely, completely burned out, you can go by burn patterns on the walls to determine just about exactly where it started."

Fire always rises, so generally the lowest part of the building burned is the area the fire started.

Moss said what's done before investigators arrive on scene has a big impact on the effectiveness of the investigation.

"We rely a lot on the fire department to do a good job and not disturb possible evidence that helps us," he said.

Team approach

Investigators start by taking an overview of the fire damage, interviewing witnesses and walking around the building to get a general feel for the path the fire followed.

Photographs are taken to keep a record of the clues uncovered.

Moving to the interior of the building, Mitchell will start from the least damaged part of the building and work toward the most damaged.

Clues fall into four broad categories based on causes of fire: deliberately set fires, fires caused by human failing (such as leaving a burning candle unattended), electrical/mechanical fires.

The fire marshall's office will call in specialists to help analyze evidence. If the investigator suspects the fire may have been caused by an electrical failure, for example, he or she will call in an electrician.

"We're very much using a team approach, trying to keep the overall picture," said Mitchell.

The team approach sometimes includes lab analysis of samples of burned material to determine whether or not an accelerant, such as gasoline, sparked the fire.

Education can also be part of the investigation. Mitchell said people victimized by fire sometimes do not understand that most insurance policies cover fires caused by human failings.