INVESTIGATIN

G VEHICULAR
FIRE
SUBMITTED BY,
DEVIKA M REJI
MSC FORENSIC SCIENCE-2YRS
VEHICULAR FIRE

CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION

WHAT IS VEHICULAR FIRE?

AREAS OF GROWTH

TIMELINE

SUMMARY

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VEHICULAR FIRE

INTRODUCTION
A vehicle is made up of complex mechanical and
electrical parts. Due to the many frictional components,
flammable liquids, and intricate electric wiring, fire is a
common hazard in vehicles. If a fire breaks out in a
moving car, it can be fatal as it can damage critical
components of the vehicle. Therefore, it's essential to be
mindful of fire hazards while driving to prevent any
accidents.

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VEHICULAR FIRE

Electrical System
ARSON
Failures

Hybrid and
Electric Vehicle Car Crashes
Batteries

CAUSES OF
VEHICULAR Poor Maintenance
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FIRE
 VEHICULAR FIRE

TYPES OF VEHICLE FIRE

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 INTENTIONAL FIRE A C C I D E N TA L F I R E
VEHICULAR FIRE

• Insurance fraud is one of the major reasons for • The majority of accidental fires occur in the
vehicle fires and in many cases. engine compartment. This is true for
automobiles, trucks and heavy equipment.
• Vehicles are stolen for various reasons some of
which are profit, joy rides or to be used in a • Prior knowledge of how the components are laid
crime out and how dense their arrangement is will help
you to understand how rapidly the fire spreads.
• To make this a successful endeavor the owner
must make this whole scenario appear as • In some inexpensive or older vehicles, the
though it was performed by a thief; therefore, the population of components in the engine is
owner must think like a thief sparse and there is less plastic used. In these
vehicles, fire does not spread as rapidly and
• The problem at this point is that the owner, in therefore burns for a longer period or it has a
most cases, does not know how to do better chance of burning itself out.
• Vehicles that are stolen for joy rides and to • The origin of the fire in the engine is sometimes
commit crimes are burned in many cases to quite difficult because of the number of
cover up fingerprints or any evidence that may flammable items and how easily the fire
have been left behind transmits between them
• Determining the origin and cause of these fires • Vehicle fires are caused by defective or worn
is usually straight forward because no one is components, poor workmanship, age or normal
trying to hide the fact that the vehicle has been deterioration and lack of proper maintenance
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purposely set on fire
WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN
INVESTIGATING A VEHICLE
FIRE
VEHICULAR FIRE

FINDING THE ORIGIN OF THE VEHICLE

FIRE
• Fires can originate from three main areas in a
vehicle: the engine compartment, the occupant
compartment, and the cargo area or bed. Each
area can further be divided based on burn
patterns such as lines of demarcation or radial
burn patterns pointing towards the fire's origin.
During investigations, it is advisable to start
from areas with the least damage and progress
towards the most severely damaged areas.

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VEHICULAR FIRE
WINDSHIELD EVIDENCE
• The windshield of a car is designed with a
plastic laminate that prevents the shattered
glass pieces from scattering into the passenger
compartment in case of an accident or fire. A
thorough inspection of the windshield can
provide valuable clues about the origin of the
fire.
• In the event of a passenger compartment fire, the
windshield's top may fail, and radial fire patterns may
appear on the hood. These patterns are created as
the fire eats away the surface coatings. Conversely,
engine fires may spread to the passenger
compartment through preexisting bulkhead
9 penetrations, causing failure at the bottom of the
windshield. Radial burn patterns resulting from an
engine fire may be visible on the doors.
PRESENTATION TITLE

ENGINE OR PASSENGER COMPARTMENT?

W h e n the fir e is susp ect e d t o h ave or ig in at e d in t h e e n g ine co m p a r t m e nt , lo ok f o r

la r g e bur n patter ns on t h e h o od , w it h r a d ial b u r ns p oin t in g t o w a r d t h e f ir e w a ll, o r
b ulkhead, as it is o t he r w ise kn o w n, w h e r e it m o st likely w ill h a ve ve nt e d .
F ir e s that or iginate in th e in te r io r o f t he veh icle w ill ge n e r a lly a ffe ct t h e t o p of t h e
w in d ow, causing it to b r e a k an d f all in w a r d, le avin g a f r a ct u r e lin e at t h e b a se. T h e se
g lass fr agm ents w ill som e t im e s be h eld in t act b y t h e r u b b er se ala n t a r o un d t he
w in d ow fr ame

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 VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION

The first thing that needs to be done even before starting the investigation is to
confirm the identification of the vehicle you will be examining. The license plate
might also aid the investigator in the identification of the vehicle
The license plate might also aid the investigator in the identification of the vehicle.
The second thing that must be considered to document is the condition of the
battery, and to make sure it is disconnected, eliminating any power surges to the
vehicle in an uneventful, unexpected deployment of the airbag. If you get hurt at
the fire scene examination, you are no longer part of the solution but become part
of the problem.

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 GLASS
VEHICULAR FIRE

FRAGMENTS

The investigator should always examine the site where the fire occurred,
if possible, to document the scene, and to determine if any glass
fragments are on the grass or pavement.

The position, location and condition of the glass in the vehicle can be
considered valuable when examining a vehicle, whether accidental or
incendiary. In all cases involving fire investigation of vehicle fires, they
should and must be performed by a properly educated and trained fire
investigator.

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 UNDERSTANDING
VEHICULAR FIRE

VEHICLE
CONSTRUCTION
In reconstructing the flame spread and burn patterns, it’s
important to keep in mind those plastic heater/air conditioner
housings, dashboards, instrument clusters, glove boxes and
their contents, louver vents and door trim panels represent a
large accumulation of combustible material and can generate
substantial heat.

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VEHICULAR FIRE

OXIDATION PATTERNS
Oxidation patterns (rusting) are important in identifying the point of origin, but they
can last only for a few weeks or months when exposed to the weather elements
such as rain and snow and rapidly degrade the information they have to offer. It is
recommended that if the vehicle is to be stored outside in substandard weather
conditions that it be covered; this is not only to protect the metal from the oxidation
process, but to keep the rain and snow out of the vehicle if it is an interior fire, and
until it can be properly examined.

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 FLUID ANALYSIS
VEHICULAR FIRE

TESTING OF THE OIL

T H E I N V E S T I G AT O R
AFTER TESTING OF THE OIL SAMPLE CAN SHOW THE
MIGHT WANT TO
T H E R E S U LT S S H O W T H E P R E S E N T FOLLOWING:
C O N S I D E R TA K I N G A
OF ANTIFREEZE, THIS IS A SIGN OF
FLUID SAMPLES OF THE
A N I N T E R N A L L E A K , U S U A L LY 1. SPECTRAL
ENGINE OIL AND
CAUSED BY A BAD GASKET OR EXAM
TRANSMISSION AND
E N G I N E FA I L U R E A N D S H O U L D N O T 2. VISCOSITY
H AV E T H E M T E S T E D AT
BE PRESENT IN THE OIL 3. INSOLUBLES
A L A B O R AT O R Y.
4. FLASHPOINT

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 DOCUMENT YOUR
INVESTIGATION
• Compare the 5 compartments between each other
• Compare damage within each compartment
• Photograph before and after debris removal
• Recommend using a photo procedure that parallels the inspection

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 C0NCLUSION
VEHICULAR FIRE

A vehicle fire investigator examines the engine compartment,

occupant compartment, and cargo area to determine the origin
of the fire. They may also take fluid samples of the engine oil
and transmission to test at a laboratory. The investigator must
be familiar with parts of the vehicle most often mentioned as
being involved in fires: the engine, the fuel system, the
electrical system, exhaust system.

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THANK YOU