What Kind of Classes Would I Need to Do Fire Investigation?

Fire Origin and Cause

• The main goal of a fire investigator is to decide the cause and origin of the fire. The origin is the area the fire began and the cause is what started it. Classes that cover this type of training will cover investigation methods, building construction, fire patterns, accidental causes of fire, evidence collection, incendiary fires and recording evidence.

Vehicle Investigations

• A fire investigator doesn't only inspect buildings, but also vehicles. Courses in vehicle investigations will cover investigating fire arson and accidents, collecting evidence, vehicle wiring, vehicle electrical systems, and reporting evidence. Most programs use vehicle investigations as a training module that's included within another class such as fire origin or hands-on training.

Death and Injury Investigations

• In the event there is a death or injury at a fire, the fire investigator is able to determine the injured or deceased's involvement in the fire as well as document the information about the fire for insurance paperwork and claims. Courses for this type of training include hands-on death and injury investigation, arson fatality or fire-related death, and documenting evidence at the scene of a fire. Fire investigators will also generate reports for future safety practices that will help prevent injury or death from occurring in the future.

Fire Chemistry

• Fire chemistry is the study of fire itself. Fire investigators will learn the dynamics of fire and what factors make fire behave the way it does. An investigator will also learn the fingerprint a fire leaves at the scene to help decide cause and origin. Fire chemistry courses familiarize fire investigators with how fires move, patterns they take on and their courses.

Hands-On Training Courses

• Hands-on training courses will encompass everything a future fire investigator has learned through in-class training. They should include vehicle investigation, building investigation, electrical fire investigation and fatality scene investigation. Majority of these courses run through simulations where a live fire is created and extinguished for the investigator to determine its cause, origin and other factors.