FIRE AND

9 ARSON
OVERVIEW

This module intends to explain how fire is formed and the difference between
fire incident and arson cases. Moreover, these presents complex forensic investigation
due to the damages it may incur.

OBJECTIVES

 To be able to explain how fire is formed

 To be able to differentiate fire and arson
 To be able to determine how fire is sustained and put out the fire

SCOPE

A. Fire Chemistry
B. Requirements in the Formation of Fire
C. Behavior of Fire
D. Classification of Fire
E. Fire Investigation and Analysis
F. Arson

INTRODUCTION
In forensic science, it is important to understand how fire is formed. It is an
indispensable element in arson cases.

arson – a criminal act wherein fire is set deliberately with criminal intent

However, fire may happen naturally, accidentally, intentionally, undetermined or

incidentally. It is generally destructive in nature involving chemical reaction. For
forensic purposes, studying fire involves the following:
 Ø determining the characteristics and damage due to fire
Ø point of origin and cause

A. FIRE CHEMISTRY

The fundamental chemical reaction of fire is oxidation.

However, not all oxidation reaction results into producing
fire.

oxidation – the combination of any substance with oxygen

thereby producing new substances

Another consideration in producing fire is the concept of energy.

energy – the potential or ability of a system or material to do work

1. Forms of energy

Ø heat Ø Chemical Ø electrical

Ø light Ø Nuclear Ø mechanical

Before any reaction can take place, energy is required. The greater the energy
barrier, the more energy is needed. Therefore, high temperature for fuel is necessary to
exceed the energy barrier.

ignition temperature – minimum temperature for a fuel to spontaneously ignite

Fire is an example of combustion reaction. It is a transformation process wherein

fuel is oxidized followed by release of heat and light. It also produces other substances
due to chemical reaction. The entire process involves exothermic combustion chemical
reaction.

combustion – rapid combination of fuel and oxygen

liberating heat and energy
heat of combustion – excess energy that is liberated as heat
or light
exothermic reaction - chemical reaction that releases energy
endothermic reaction - chemical reaction that intakes energy

In the combustion reaction, called the ignition point, flames are produced. It is the
visible portion of the fire. It consist primarily of carbon dioxide, water vapor, oxygen
and nitrogen. Another consideration is the rate of reaction in combustion. It is
dependent on the collision of atoms or molecules. This is affected by the physical state
of the fuel and the fuel temperature.
glowing combustion – depletion of oxygen supply causes flaming combustion to end
backdraft – the superheated mixture of gases acquires fresh supply of oxygen to resume
free burning

For the fire to happen, oxygen molecules must be broken into atoms and get close
to the fuel molecules. In the same manner, fuel must be in gaseous state for combustion.
Ignition is still needed even if a fuel reached its flash point.

flash point – lowest temperature needed for a fuel to be converted into gaseous phase
flame point or fire point – highest temperature needed for the fuel to sustain
combustion
pyrolysis – chemical breakdown or decomposition of solid fuel by heat

In cases wherein there is insufficient heat for the activation energy, accelerant is
used because it burns easily when ignited. This liquid is poured and the heat given off
vaporizes solid materials. However, it leaves residues behind.

activation energy - energy required to start a chemical reaction

accelerant – liquid fuel that is easily vaporized to support combustion

B. REQUIREMENTS IN THE FORMATION OF FIRE

To initiate and sustain fire, three requirements must be

present and combined in the right mixture:

Ø fuel – any substance that will burn

Ø oxygen – gas that supports combustion
Ø heat – the energy required in the reaction process

This is the fire triangle or combustion triangle. On Fire Triangle

the
other hand, heat is produced in the following manner:

Ø chemical – due to rapid oxidation

Ø mechanical – due to friction
Ø electrical – due to arcing, shorting or malfunction
Ø compressed gas – due to increased molecular activity
Ø nuclear – due to splitting of atomic particles

Moreover, heat can be transferred by:

Ø conduction – transfer of heat through direct contact

Ø convection – transfer of heat by a circulating medium
 Ø radiation – transfer through invisible waves

Another way of explaining how fire is formed is the fire tetrahedron. Included in
this is the chemical chain reaction between fuel and oxygen.
Fire is initiated when a flammable or a combustible
material is mixed with sufficient amount of oxygen upon
exposure to a source of heat exceeding the flash point to
allow the fuel-oxygen mixture to maintain the rapid
oxidation and producing the chain reaction. Once started, it
will continue to burn until one of them has been sufficiently
reduced and/or removed, creating an imbalance or fire
would not be possible. Fire Tetrahedron
flammable liquid – with flash points below 100 °F
combustible liquid - have flash points at or above 100 °F
flammable range – concentration range between the upper and lower limit

C. BEHAVIOR OF FIRE

The presence of smoke usually indicates the presence of fire. On the other hand,
observing fire includes formation of smoke. In instances wherein there is lack of
oxygen, combustion will be incomplete. If the oxygen is increased, it will cause fire to
proceed. This phenomenon is called flashback. Also, fire moves both horizontally and
vertically (upward manner) from its origin.

smoke – incomplete combustion of fire

1. Factors that affect the progression and growth of fire:

Ø fuel supply, oxygen and heat

Ø continuous burning of combustible or flammable materials
Ø environmental element

2. As fire progresses, it transcends phases:

Ø Incipient
Ø emergent smoldering
Ø free burning
Ø oxygen-regulated smoldering

3. Things that will make fire worse:

a. gasoline
 flammable through its vapor
 vapor catches fire rather than the liquid
 improper use and/or storage

b. diesel
 combustible
 vapor catches fire rather than the liquid
 burn slower than gasoline
 does not exactly explode
 much difficult to put out
 improper use and/or storage
c. oil
 combustible
 vapor catches fire rather than the liquid
 oil spills and improper storage

d. grease
 cooking oils and grease are not flammable
 quickly ignites and intense burning upon
reaching its flashpoint
 avoid using water in extinguishing fire
 using water will cause the oil to splash and spread
the fire
e. lack of water
 water can put off fire

f. exposed wires
 one perfect spark that touches a flammable
substance
 loose connection at an outlet wall
 g. excess paper or trash
 overabundance of paper and trash

h. dust
 burns quickly due to its dryness

i. gas leaks
 normally undetected and can become explosive
very quickly
 almost any spark can start a fire

j. gas-filled tanks
 defective gas tanks

D. CLASSIFICATION OF FIRE

1. Types of fire

a. natural fire
b. accidental fire
c. intentional fire
d. undetermined fire
e. incidental fire

2. Source of ignition or cause of fire

a. direct ignition
b. electrical fire
 c. weather-related fire
d. mechanical fire

E. FIRE INVESTIGATION AND ANALYSIS

Determining the point of origin in a fire scene is most likely the place where
physical evidence can be discovered and its cause. The following are to be considered in
fire investigation:
1. Point of Origin – the most intense burning and damage
Ø low burning – lowest point where fire generally starts
Ø soot and smoke staining – the amount of soot and deposit may indicate
the point of origin and direction of fire

2. Point of Entry and Exit – pertaining to the route of the perpetrator

3. Cause of Fire

4. Burning Pattern
Ø V-patterns – point of origin is near a wall or corner of a room
Ø more severe burning found on the floor than on the ceiling may indicate
the presence of an accelerant
Ø if a flammable liquid was used, charring is expected to be more intense
on the bottom of furniture, shelves, and other items than on the top

5. How Materials React to Fire

Ø wood charring – depends on the intensity of the heat and time of
exposure
Ø material distortion – deformation of metal and glass due to high
temperature or heat
Ø spalling of plaster or concrete – the damage on the surface because of
heat or other factors

6. Characteristics of Point of Fire Origin

7. How Fire Normally Proceed Through a Structure

Ø fire tends to move upward

8. Unusual Fire Characteristics

9. Effects of Fire Suppression on the Scene

Ø any accelerant residues that remain after a fire is extinguished may
evaporate within a few days or even hours

10. Collection and Preservation of Evidence

 a. methods of detecting accelerants
1) use of hydrocarbon sniffing dogs or arson dogs
2) use of analytical devices
3) fire residues with trapped accelerants
b. sufficient sample quantity and negative controls
Ø collection of all materials suspected of containing volatile liquids
accompanied by a thorough sampling of similar but
uncontaminated control specimens from another area of the fire
scene
c. use of airtight metal containers or glass jars
Ø two to three quarts of ash and soot debris must be collected at the
point of origin of a fire when arson is suspected
Ø the collection should include all porous materials and all other
substances thought likely to contain flammable residues
Ø packaged immediately in airtight containers so possible residues
are not lost through evaporation

11. Analysis of Fire Residue Evidence

a. isolation of accelerant
1) dependent on personal preference
2) available equipment
3) nature of accelerants processing
a) neat ignitable liquid
b) partially burned accelerants
c) nearly completely burned accelerants
b. methods of isolation of accelerant due to determination of the nature of
the accelerant
1) headspace method
2) adsorption method
3) solvent extraction
4) steam distillation

12. Analysis by Gas Chromatography (GC)/Gas Chromatography-Mass

Spectrometry (GC-MS)
Ø headspace technique
Ø vapor concentration

13. Interpretation and Association of Fire Case Evidence

a. determine the type of fire
b. determine the suspect or perpetrator

F. ARSON
 Arson is one of the criminal cases that can be planned by the suspect and allows
the perpetrator to escape. It is difficult to investigate because of the extent of damage
and considering that most of the physical evidence that can be gathered are burned,
destroyed, removed and contaminated.

The investigator must establish the motive, modus operandi (perpetrator’s mode
of operation) and the suspect. For the criminalist, detection and identification of
relevant chemical materials, reconstruction and identification of igniters is expected
from them.
1. Arson Laws
Ø PD 1613 - Amending the Law on Arson
Ø PD 1744 - Amending Art. 320 of RPC
Ø Art. 320-326, 326 (a) and 326 (b), Chapter 8, Title 10, Book II, Revised
Penal Code

2. Indication of Arson – find the fuel that was ignited first, source of heat and
how it came into contact
Ø presence of an accelerant – an irregularly shaped pattern on a floor or
on the ground resulting from accelerant having been poured onto the
surface
Ø elimination of natural or accidental cause of fire
Ø fire direction or fire trail
Ø multiple points of origin
Ø signs of breaking and entering
Ø testimony of any eyewitnesses to the fire

REFERENCES
Baxter, Everett Jr. 2015. Complete Crime Scene Investigation Handbook. CRC Press. FL, USA

Fisher, Barry A. J., Tilstone, William J., Woytowicz, Catherine. 2009. Introduction to Criminalistics.
Elsevier Academic Press. MA, USA
Houck, Max M., Siegel, Jay A. 2010. Fundamentals of Forensic Science. Second Edition. Elsevier. MA,
USA
Saferstein, Richard. 2013. Forensic Science. Pearson Education, Inc. New Jersey, USA

https://www.allegiantfire.net/news/10-things-that-will-make-a-fire-worse/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire

https://auto.howstuffworks.com/diesel3.htm

https://theconversation.com/overcrowded-homes-and-a-lack-of-water-leave-some-indonesians-at-risk-
of-the-coronavirus-136855
https://www.sciencefocus.com/science/what-is-dust-made-of/

https://www.safeopedia.com/definition/1883/fire-triangle

https://www.teachoo.com/15459/3618/Question-4/category/MCQs-from-NCERT-Exemplar/