fires are a pretty familiar sight to every man on the department fires in homes garages schools factories fires every place over a fifty a day more than twenty thousand a year in los angeles sure we extinguish them and do a darn good job where a class one fire department one of the best in the nation you can question our efficiency but what about the cause either they start do you make an effort to find out you should it's an important part of your job there's more to this business of preserving life and property than control extinguishment and cleanup it's a greater importance to prevent a fire than it is to find one but only by knowing the causes of fires can we successfully prevent their rec the success of public educational campaigns fire protection inspection fire regulation enforcement and the apprehension of intent the arrest is dependent on knowing how fires start as you well know we maintain an arson detail complete investigation of suspicious fires requires time and patience it involves the establishing of the point of origin the collecting and preservation of evidence the interviewing a witness and making arrests signing complaints and the preparation of comprehensive reports to better enable a trial attorney to successfully prosecute those suspected of the crime of arson such detailed work can't be expected from the man on fire fighting duty however a clean install arson investigators unanimously agree that the key a successful investigation is the alertness on the part of firefighters in recognizing the unusual human on the first to arrive at a fire there's plenty to think about until you have it under control but then when the immediate emergency is over and before you start overhauling the observations you make and the action you take great importance this can make or break a successful investigation bear in mind that when an arson investigator arrives on the scene he must start from scratch he has no information no definite starting point what you did what you saw and what you found might save him endless hours of investigation most fires start from natural causes causes that are pretty obvious even before a fire occurs experienced firemen are quick in recognizing the leaders in this group the careless smoke illegal burning incinerators heaters and stoves electricity and children with matches unfortunately the reported causes of many of these fires is inaccurate because of the excessive number that occur each year there's a marked tendency to form an opinion without due consideration of all the visual evidence for exams a fire involving the cushions on a davenport might have all the earmarks of a careless smoker but if a fire occurred on a hot day in august and a fifteen hundred dollar franco just happened to be lying across the devonport it would be reasonable to assume the fire was not as accidental as it first appeared when occupants absent a dwelling fire might appear to have been caused by carelessness if charred clothing draped over a chair was found too close to a heater but if you found dresser drawers with clothing hanging out it would certainly be worthy of further investigation observations of this sort should be passed on to arson investigators yes experience firefighters are quick in recognizing fires that appear to have been started from natural causes but that very experience can be misleading always look for unnatural circumstances snap judgments can be highly inaccurate fires are usually reported as undetermined when there is a lack of an obvious or natural cause the mere lack of a natural cause does not necessarily make a fire incendiary but all of them should be viewed with suspicion thorough investigation should be made incendiary fires are fires that have been willfully and maliciously set generally speaking they follow pretty regular patterns and can be classified under five different types and knowledge of the general patterns of these fires can be extremely useful in helping to determine the cause the grudge or spike fire in the fire set to scare or to destroy the property of another it might well be considered a form of childish revenge although adults are usually responsible men and women alike a common example is that of a jealous weak hard to think she's being too time in the absence of her light of love she stacks his clothes in the center of the room boards on a little lighter fluid and then touches it  spite firings are the most dangerous obviously such fires are said with the intent to create as much destruction as possible fortunately they're in the minority it is seldom the intent of this type of insanity arrest to kill or cause bodily injury to others good scare i sort of you'd better be careful in the future attitude is what they have in mind fires in this category are seldom planned they seem to be a spur of the moment proposition that usually occur at night flammable liquids are often used and with few exceptions interrogation of the occupant or owner of the premises will provide the necessary clue as to who the culprit in definitely type by the evidence the fire for profit or the insurance fire is it's more commonly called is a little bit more ingenious these fires may involve burning buildings burning merchandise a combination of or the destruction of business records elaborate igniting devices are sometimes used mechanical and electrical apparatus so designed as to give the arsonist ample time to put as much distance as possible between himself and the premises before the fire starts the alibi i was in near the place when the fire occurred is this time worn as some of the methods you candles are common igniters often used in combination with trails leading from one room to another trail that sometimes end in wooden tubs and gasoline from which the metal hoops have been removed such tabs are ti string that burns through quickly as the top gives way the flaming gas spreads rapidly and burns with great intensity sim arson plants as they are commonly called are a lot more fantastic this set up was designed to ignite a bunch of matches when the telephone rang at work too but the evidence was left behind often the messenger so elaborate the arsonist outsmarts himself the absence of a natural cause to rapid spread to intensify or for the location and the materials burning all reasons enough to be suspicious interrogation of suspects and witnesses by arson investigators usually establishes the motive which is selling the mortgage or present a property to the insurance company in business establishments obsolete machinery expired leases and unassailable merchandise are more often than not the motive for insurance finance fire is said to cover another crime such as murder or burglary are not too frequent however there are incidents on record where a discovery of the motive behind this type of fire has led to the apprehension and conviction of the arsonist normally there is not too much pre planning a crime of violence committed without premeditation might well leave the perpetrator conscience stricken and highly fearful of the consequences grasping at any straw he sets fire to the premises in the hope that the fire will be accepted as the cause of the victim's death or that it will conceal the fact that a burglary was committed and fires where fatalities have occurred it is well to check carefully for the cause of fire once again lack of an obvious or natural cause calls for more intensive investigation fires set to cover a burglary are usually started when a comfort feels that he has bungled the job by some careless act such as leaving fingerprints or obvious signs of forcible entry motive often helps in determining cause however it's the exception to the rule to find an arsonist who sets a fire that appears natural in every respect for us we have the pyromaniac it was motive for starting fires sex gratification panic stricken occupants sirens apparatus rolling through the night firemen in action all of this seems to add to the intense physical pleasure of the true pyro the fires they start in the milling crowds of people provide the necessary excitement this form of perversion often manifests itself at an early age individuals thus effected usually start out with small pirates igniting combustibles in trash cans waste baskets pile of old newspapers and the like they're responsible for many of the rubbish fires you've responded to in adelaide's during the night undetected and they're less full appetites demand more fires bigger fires more excitement they become boehner we find them entering apartment houses and cheap hotels in the dead of night starting fires in the hall closets under stairway in basement smoke filled halls panic stricken people crowding and pushing each other as they fight their way down narrow perilous stairways women in night closing choking in the stumbling out into the street and the opportunity in the pyro to come into close contact with them and they stand trembling in the cold night as they grow owner and their activities become exceedingly dangerous an obsession to inflict serious burns even death and cause them to set fire to the bed clothing of a sleeping prince and in some instances to resort to forcible ent their pyro seldom makes elaborate preparations for starting a fire when the urge strikes him he takes advantage of what burnable material there is at hand rubbish trash even a pocket comb will do the trick since he's usually smart enough to know that he must avoid detection the cover of darkness appeals to  when a series of fires keep occurring at night from undetermined or unnatural causes it is generally a tip off that a pyro is at work this is particularly true where such fires are concentrated within a company's first in district the vanity pyromaniac differs from the true pyro in that his motive for setting fires is for mental rather than physical satisfaction it is seldom his intent to let a fire reach such proportions that he can extinguish a classic example of this type of individual is the night watchman who sets a fire calls the fire department notifies the boss then proceeds to extinguish the fire before the arrival of the fire department you can guess the rest he becomes a hero they alert watchman on on his toes the best interests of the organization a a pat on the back from the fire department maybe a raise in pay at least commendation from management and the plaudits of other plant employees salespeople have been guilty of the same approach to hero worship even during working hours they discover and extinguish a fire in a trash can or a wastebasket a fire they themselves were guilty of starting one vanity pyro who specialized in big fires confessed that as he stood among the bystanders watching the fireman and work he derive great mental satisfaction in the thought that among the scores of people and firemen present only he really knew how the fire actually arson is a crime just as much of a crime as robbery or murder the person who willfully and maliciously sets a fire regardless of his motive this plays total disregard for the property and the lives of sinister criminals as such it almost goes without saying that every effort must be made to apprehend them and to put them where they can do no further harm behind bars and little satisfaction in extinguishing an incendiary fire when you know that the maniac who started it is probably planning another your job our job the job of every man on the department is not complete until such a person is where do you fit in how can you help that's easy remember first last and always that you as a firefighter are the first to arrive on the scene you are the first to observe actual condition the alert look for the unusual developing and inquiring minds this doesn't mean you're to conduct an intensive investigation carry on with your regular work but keep your eyes and ears open be a little concerned about how the fire start before overhauling looking around is there an obvious or natural cause can you determine the point of origin it may lead to the cause take advantage of every opportunity you have to look at evidence learn to recognize that the evidence that incendiary fires is referred to as a criminal agent it could be candles of petroleum products and flammable liquids or empty containers that held them cotton or paper trails from one room to another sometimes thro a cigarette match combination thrown from an automobile and started many a brush fire and timing devices when discovered by an alert firefighter leave little doubt as to the cause of a never handle evidence preserve it for arson investigators a suspect spangler prints may be obtained but the thinker prints of a half a dozen firemen will prove of little value one alert fire fire noting a footprint on tar paper and an incendiary fire in a vacant house called into the attention of arson investigators within three days the culprit was apprehended a thirteen year old boy who admitted that he had started twelve fires within three weeks in a ten block area always try to obtain the names and addresses of people who offer information arson investigators may want to talk to them one and do the essex firefighter really thought he had something when he was telling investigators about a gr haired woman in a house tries who had told him she had seen a man run from the scene of a fire to a car just before the fire department arrived she had described the car even taken the license number of the fireman no he didn't know what the license number was no the name of the woman who had seen it the fire was incendiary the culprit was apprehended but not until the investigators and spent the better part of the night locating the woman who had seen him drive away try to detain suspicious persons until arson investigators a rhyme failure to do this and been responsible for many an arsonist walking away from a fire and molested chuckling at the seeming stupidity of firemen in general what makes a person appear suspicious well that's a hard question to answer circumstances alter cases to name them all becomes impossible but let's consider a couple of common situations down a rear stairway through a hole and to a closet in a rather remote location if this happened to you it might be well to ask yourself how come how come this fellow knew so much about the fire does he work here did he said it it was certainly paid to be suspicious and you can rest assured an arson investigator would like to talk to him particularly so if the cars in the fire could not be  keep an eye on the eager beavers that show up at fires you know they civilly and so help man the hose lines and shout words of encouragement such as come on boys we've got to lick or let's move in closer men not go down indications of intense excitement on their part should arouse some suspicion this is not a normal thing not an everyday occurrence don't pass it off as the activities of a bunch of screwballs make an effort to detain them or at least find out who they are on occasion the arson detail will plant photographs or detailed descriptions of suspected arsonist and your station with an appeal to be on the lookout for such an individual at fires they have reason to believe they're working in your area give this information your close attention memorize the features your description you could well be the one who needs the suspect face to face when you're detailed to participate in stakeouts make sure you're thoroughly understand just what is expected of you what do you do do and especially what not to do follow instructions to the letter give the above all remember that a stakeout can only be successful if a reasonable degree of secrecy is maintained it becomes then you listen certainly is a waste of manpower time and effort if a suspect is constantly aware of your activities being selected to help arson investigators on a stakeout may provide an interesting break in your daily fire duty routine interesting enough to pass along to the wife at breakfast the next morning but when the mrs passes this information on to the butcher the grocery or the next door neighbor and they in turn passed on to their friends the story that good old joe the fireman and lives down the street is now a detective in tracking down  suspect who has been setting all the fires in the neighborhood well the harm's done as far as the stakeout is concerned it'll have about as much value as driving around the neighborhood with red lights on and sirens screaming information can be harmful if you're putting it out extremely helpful if you're getting it too much talk is bad medicine the day following a fire a civilian dropped into one of our stations and engaged one of the firemen in conversation he discussed the fire said he had watched it burn and was curious to know how it started the fireman  pointed out that faulty wiring was the offender he was most in phatic and kept insisting the fire could not possibly have started any other way arson investigators came up with a different cause as the fire was incendiary the suspected arsonist was brought to trial who  it the civilly and who had obtained such a nice detailed report from the firem the attorney for the defendant had a field day playing fireman against investigator a case that might otherwise have ended in a successful conviction was thrown out of court why too much loose talk there's nothing wrong with talking to people but make sure you're getting information not giving it restrict your remarks about what you know what you saw what you did superior officers and arson investigators and bear in mind that when you are called into court to testify the court will not be interested in your personal opinions they will want to know specifically what you saw what you did what you heard facts just plain facts no attorney will ever get you out on a limb if you make it a point to know the facts and limit your remarks to those fact many of the situations i've been discussing are the unusual the exceptions not the type of suspicious circumstances that you're likely to observe or encounter very frequently they've been passed on to you simply as background information to help point out that the real causes of undetermined fires can be established if you know what to look for presuming we have a fire knocked down have taken a little look around and failed to find an obvious or natural cause what then what are we looking for suspicious circumstances certainly suspicious circumstances and any visible evidence that may lend some proof as to the cause of the fire are the things you should think about and look for prior to overhauling if there is any doubt at all as to how the fire started think now was the fire particularly difficult to extinguish that it seemed to be burning with greater intensity than other fires you've fought in similar type occupancies could flammable liquids or sprays have been used are there any bottles or cans of the stuff around where you would not expect them to be normally in a closet cabinet or a dresser is there a clear cut line of demarcation between the burned and unburned materials in the fire involved curtains or drains where they seemingly ignited by a heater an electric iron or other portable electric appliance the possible cause if so did you find the device where you would normally expect it to be used or did its location make you wonder whether any open gas co mechanical or electrical devices at the point of origin where the windows and doors all tightly closed where the shades pinned down were there any signs of forcible entry that could have been made prior to your arrival and the cash register drawers or a safe been rifled did merchandise appear to be missing from the shelves or sales r the first rubbish trash can or garage fire you respond to down some dark alley particularly when you can't determine the cause might be accidental or the mischievous prank of some juvenile but two or more of these fires occurring reasonably close to each other over a short space of time can certainly be taken as an indication that a pyro is on the loose be suspicious of the bystander who doesn't act normal or who seems overly eager to lend a support physically or informationally pay particular attention to a familiar face that keeps appearing among the bystanders  little things may seem in consequential to you but you don't have a suspicious nature maybe you can see just where they would have any particular bearing on determining the cause of a fire nevertheless the rather common suspicious circumstances you've just seen examples of are highly important to the arson investigator guard them carefully until he arrives they give him a lead a starting point a springboard from which you can plunge into an investigation from the right direction it's the little things bits of evidence the unusual circumstances that don't go hand in hand with normal conditions that mean so much they spell the difference between success and failure between knowing how a fire actually started or having to admit we weren't quite sharp enough or interested enough to find out every fire has a cause and every cause can be determined but only through the cooperation of every firefighter on the department the key to success is in your hands why not