School Essay: Explanation of Arson or Accidental Fire

Explanation of Arson or Accidental Fire

Written Assignment #6: Arson or Not?

Leslie K. Penny

Chancellor University

Abstract

The following essay depicts four particular scenarios providing limited details of a fire either in a building or residential home.  The writer must decipher whether each scenario is caused by arson or by accidental or natural causes using limited information obtained from the learning materials provided.  This writer believes two out the four scenarios were caused by arson going off the information provided in the scenario. 

Written Assignment #5: Explanation of Arson or Accidental Fire

            The following essay explains whether certain scenarios were caused by arson or by accidental means according to information gleaned from the learning materials of the week.  Arson, meaning the fire was set on purpose for reasons such as a malicious act, revenge, for monetary gain or to cover up another crime.  While an accidental fire can range from heat sources such as heating or cooking systems, electrical systems, smoking or human negligence to natural heat sources such as spontaneous combustion and lightening (Osterburg & Ward, 2004, pgs 4932-493).   This writer will give an explanation of each scenario listed below as to the cause of the fire.

            Scenario 1: Investigators at a residential fire find much of the roof destroyed and the floor    in the living room seriously damaged.  However, there is little fire damage to the floors and the walls of the rooms not adjacent to the living room.

            The scenario depicts that there is no evidence of "streamers", meaning there were no separate and unconnected fires to spread the fire from one room to another by the use of gasoline, paper or other burnable sources (Saferstein, 2007, p. 319).  However this doesn't necessarily mean arson wasn't involved.  Considering the scenario doesn't state weather the walls were damaged at all in the one burned room, there is no V-shaped pattern that would help with the location of the origin of the fire.

            This writer believes this is an accidental or natural caused fire, not arson.  The roof is completely burned indicating that could be the source of origin and the seriously damaged floor could be caused by burning debris from the ceiling and roof falling into the room.  Natural reasons for the roof catching fire would include lightening.  It is also well known that heat rises.  If oily rags were stored in a poorly ventilated container in the attic (if this house has one) then the possibility, small as it may be, for spontaneous combustion has to be considered (Saferstein, 2007, p 317).  Other causes could include an electrical fire from a fixture on the ceiling of the room in question or an electrical issue in the attic, among other guesses. 

            Scenario 2: A large, multistory warehouse, bordered on the North and South sides by        residential areas, burns to the ground earlier in the evening.  Residents of both report seeing small fires burning on the ground floor earlier in the evening.

            There have been many cases where warehouses, especially abandoned ones, have burned down caused by the negligence of transients making small fires to keep warm.  However, due to the close proximity of residential areas it's doubtful transients are holding up in the warehouse, but this is no guarantee that that is indeed the case.  There is no evidence mentioned in the scenario that this particular warehouse is abandoned. 

            This writer believes this scenario is arson based.  Residents on both ends of the building saw several small fires which could indicate the use of streamers so the fire would spread throughout the warehouse or that there were more than one delinquent setting fires in different locations of the building.  Upon further investigation after the rubble is removed, irregularly shaped patterns on the ground would further indicate the use of accelerants on the floor adding to the arson conclusion.

            Scenario 3: The fire in the three-room office is extinguished before a great deal of             damage is done.  The floors of each room are charred, but there is little damage to the       ceiling. 

            This writer believes this is a case of arson mainly from the fact that the floor of each room was burned possibly due to streamer fires where a separate fire is set in each room spreading a "trail of gasoline or paper to cause the fire to move rapidly from one room to the next" (Saferstein, 2007, p319).  The fact that the ceiling in each room sustained little damage could also indicate a fast burning accelerant was used that burned off quickly.  Also the swift efforts of whomever extinguished the fire prevented the ceiling from suffering major damage. 

            Scenario 4: Most of the damage from a home fire is confined to two adjacent walls.              Neighbors on both sides report that the lights in the house went out shortly before the fire            started. 

            It is doubtful an arsonist would have lights on in the house as they went about their fire starting tasks.  However, if a homeowner were committing arson in their home for personal gain or to cover up a crime they probably wouldn't turn the lights off thinking keeping them on would take suspicion off of them.  And its normal to turn the lights off as you make your way out of the home.  However, this writer believes this was an accidental burning.  Considering the walls that were burned gives the indication that possibly a cigarette could be to blame or even an electrical fire involving a lamp sitting on a table in the corner of the adjacent walls. 

            To conclude, each fire related incident is a mystery until a full investigation  is conducted using the evidence found at the scene, witness statements, and an investigation into the owner(s) to rule them out as suspects.  Deciphering the above scenarios provides an insight into the world of arson or accidental fires giving the writer the opportunity to use judgment, imagination and information gleaned from learning materials to provide an assessment of the fire. 

           

Reference

 Saferstein, R. (2007). Criminalistics: An introduction to forensic science (9th ed.). New Jersey:                Pearson Prentice Hall.

Ward, H. Richard, Osterburg, W. James: Criminal Investigation: A Method for Reconstructing the                Past (4th ed.). Cincinnatie: Anderson Publishing.