Fire Investigations
Fires take a devastating toll but often leave little to explain why they happened. The complexity of the everyday items around us, coupled with the thermal and chemical dynamics of fire, require competent and experienced professionals to determine the cause and culpability of fire losses.
A fire can move quickly, leaving your insured homeless or without a place to work. The professional staff at RFE will work just as quickly to investigate the fire – performing site inspections, testing and analysis to determine the How and Why of the loss. We’ll help you return your clients to their normal routines while making recommendations to prevent a future reoccurrence.
The experience of RFE’s investigators places them at the top of their field for examining and determining the cause of failure involving all types of systems. Our experts can not only determine the cause of the fire but also provide expert testimony in a court of law.
Scientific Analysis of Fire Scenes
The multitude of ignition sources and combustible materials – and the actions that brought them together (including human error) – requires a scientific approach during scene investigations, artifact examinations, technical searches and engineering analysis. Using the scientific method outlined in NFPA 921, a tested and proven investigative method, our engineers reach the answer of what went wrong in fires.
Types of Fire Investigations
Click the links below to read more about specific types of Fire Investigations:
- Mechanical Investigations
- Electrical Investigations
- Appliance Fire Investigations
- Vehicle Fire Investigations
Fire Investigators
At RFE, our highly respected professionals have specialized training in fire investigation and the ability to communicate with clients and jurors using concise and understandable terminology.
Our fire investigators include professional engineers with electrical and mechanical degrees and expertise in the design, installation, and operation of electrical distribution systems, piping, HVAC equipment, and fire suppression systems.
Our facilities include a technical laboratory to examine, test, simulate and analyze the components remaining from our investigation, or those of a third party, for client reports and potential subrogation. Our facility and evidence technicians can also properly store items for future examinations or judiciary trials.
In addition to the determination of cause and culpability, RFE offers multidisciplinary services associated with fire losses. Our engineers will perform evaluations to determine the safety and reparability of the remaining structure; appliances; machinery and other mechanical equipment; and electrical, telephone and data equipment. We can also prepare a scope of damage and the corresponding cost of repairs (including reviewing contractor estimates).
