CVFI key terms

The systematic process of identifying the exact location where a fire began by analyzing fire patterns, witness statements, and physical evidence, distinguishing the origin from the cause.

The study of visible or measurable changes to materials caused by fire, such as charring, melting, and smoke deposition, to reconstruct fire spread and identify the origin.

The categorization of a fire's cause as accidental, incendiary, natural, or undetermined, based on the elimination of possible causes and the weight of evidence.

The general region within a fire scene where the fire started, often larger than the precise point of origin and identified through pattern analysis and witness accounts.

The exact physical location where a fire began, determined by converging fire patterns, witness marks, and debris analysis, often the most damaged area.

A fire pattern shaped like a V, formed when fire spreads upward and outward from a point of origin on a vertical surface, with the apex indicating the origin.

The blackened, cracked, or consumed remains of combustible material caused by exposure to fire, used to assess fire direction, intensity, and duration.

A measurement of how deeply wood or other material has been charred, used to estimate fire duration and intensity when compared with known burn rates.

A fire caused by non-intentional human action, equipment failure, or natural events, with no evidence of deliberate ignition or criminal intent.

A fire intentionally set under circumstances that the person knows should not have been set, often involving accelerants or ignition devices.

A classification used when available evidence is insufficient to identify a cause, or when multiple causes remain equally plausible after investigation.

A flawed investigative conclusion that a fire cause is incendiary solely because all accidental causes have been ruled out, without positive evidence of intentional ignition.

A substance, often a flammable liquid, used to initiate or spread a fire intentionally, detectable through residue analysis and burn patterns.

Traces of flammable or combustible liquids remaining after a fire, collected from debris and analyzed in a laboratory to identify the liquid and support cause determination.

A fire pattern indicating that a liquid was poured or spread on a surface, often showing irregular, flowing shapes and localized deep burning.

A dog trained to detect the odor of ignitable liquids at fire scenes, used to locate areas for sampling, though alerts require laboratory confirmation.

A unique 17-character code assigned to a vehicle, used to verify its identity, history, and components during a fire investigation.

The determination of what started a vehicle fire, such as mechanical failure, electrical fault, fuel leak, or intentional act, based on evidence and elimination.

The specialized examination of a burned vehicle to determine origin and cause, considering fuel systems, electrical components, and occupant actions.

A fire originating from the vehicle's fuel delivery components, such as a leak, ruptured line, or carburetor issue, often producing intense localized damage.

A fire caused by electrical faults such as short circuits, overloaded wiring, or component failure, often identified by arc mapping and bead formation.

The technique of identifying and mapping electrical arc sites on wiring to help determine the origin and spread of a fire in vehicles and structures.

A rapid release of energy causing a pressure wave, often resulting from combustion, chemical reaction, or mechanical failure, and investigated for origin and cause.

A combustion-driven explosion where the flame front propagates at subsonic speed, commonly associated with flammable gas or vapor clouds.

An explosion where the shock wave travels at supersonic speed through the explosive material, producing high pressure and characteristic damage patterns.

Physical harm caused by the pressure wave, flying debris, or heat from an explosion, relevant to determining explosion effects and victim location.

The overpressure generated by an explosion, which damages structures and injures people, used to estimate explosive quantity and distance.

A guide for fire and explosion investigations that outlines systematic methods for origin and cause determination, evidence collection, and reporting.

A systematic approach involving observation, hypothesis formation, testing, and conclusion, applied in fire investigation to ensure reliable and defensible findings.

The thorough recording of a fire scene through photographs, sketches, notes, and video to preserve evidence and support investigative conclusions.

The proper gathering, packaging, and labeling of physical items from a fire scene to maintain their integrity for analysis and legal proceedings.

A documented record of who handled evidence, when, and for what purpose, ensuring its admissibility and reliability in legal proceedings.

A formal document presenting the investigator's findings, including origin, cause, methodology, and evidence, written clearly for use by stakeholders and courts.

Oral or written evidence given by a qualified expert in court, based on specialized knowledge and reliable methods, to help the judge or jury understand complex issues.

The process of evaluating potential explanations for a fire by comparing them with physical evidence, witness accounts, and experimental data to reach a reliable conclusion.

The study of how fires ignite, grow, spread, and extinguish, including heat release rates and ventilation effects, essential for interpreting fire patterns.

The sudden transition from a growing fire to a fully developed fire, where all combustible surfaces ignite nearly simultaneously, often obscuring origin patterns.

The loss, destruction, or alteration of evidence, which can occur during fire investigation and may lead to legal consequences or challenges to findings.