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    Lane ElectricalFire

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    Farrukh Iqbal
    This document discusses the challenges fire investigators face in determining whether an electrical arc or wire damage was the cause or consequence of a fire. While localized fires with clear evidence like a beaded wire may be straightforward, it is difficult to definitively conclude cause in complex full room involvement fires. Several proposed scientific methods for analyzing wire globules have been tested but found lacking, and simply "eyeballing" wires is unreliable. As copper melts at temperatures achievable in modern fires, the contents of wire beads may not remain frozen in time, complicating determinations of cause. Definitive answers remain elusive, leaving investigators to proceed with caution and be prepared to justify conclusions scientifically.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    Lane ElectricalFire

    Uploaded by

    Farrukh Iqbal
    28 views2 pages
    This document discusses the challenges fire investigators face in determining whether an electrical arc or wire damage was the cause or consequence of a fire. While localized fires with clear evidence like a beaded wire may be straightforward, it is difficult to definitively conclude cause in complex full room involvement fires. Several proposed scientific methods for analyzing wire globules have been tested but found lacking, and simply "eyeballing" wires is unreliable. As copper melts at temperatures achievable in modern fires, the contents of wire beads may not remain frozen in time, complicating determinations of cause. Definitive answers remain elusive, leaving investigators to proceed with caution and be prepared to justify conclusions scientifically.

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    ElectricalFire

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    This document discusses the challenges fire investigators face in determining whether an electrical arc or wire damage was the cause or consequence of a fire. While localized fires with clear evidence like a beaded wire may be straightforward, it is difficult to definitively conclude cause in complex full room involvement fires. Several proposed scientific methods for analyzing wire globules have been tested but found lacking, and simply "eyeballing" wires is unreliable. As copper melts at temperatures achievable in modern fires, the contents of wire beads may not remain frozen in time, complicating determinations of cause. Definitive answers remain elusive, leaving investigators to proceed with caution and be prepared to justify conclusions scientifically.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    28 views2 pages

    Lane ElectricalFire

    Uploaded by

    Farrukh Iqbal
    This document discusses the challenges fire investigators face in determining whether an electrical arc or wire damage was the cause or consequence of a fire. While localized fires with clear evidence like a beaded wire may be straightforward, it is difficult to definitively conclude cause in complex full room involvement fires. Several proposed scientific methods for analyzing wire globules have been tested but found lacking, and simply "eyeballing" wires is unreliable. As copper melts at temperatures achievable in modern fires, the contents of wire beads may not remain frozen in time, complicating determinations of cause. Definitive answers remain elusive, leaving investigators to proceed with caution and be prepared to justify conclusions scientifically.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    Electrical Fire Or Junk Science?

    By Thomas Williams and Dave Mc Intyre


    Is an arc or a bead definitive proof that an electrical fire has occurred? More to the point, is the
    shape of the damaged wire a definitive clue that an electrical event took place and was the cause
    of the fire? The fire investigator is in search of definitive answers. Those answers may prove to
    be elusive at this time.
    We still hear of fire investigators who "eyeballed" the electrical wire and the scene. Based on that
    examination of the electrical wire they were able to determine the failure mode. It appears to be
    slightly more problematic then simply "eyeballing" of the electric wire.
    This author is not addressing the obvious in which there is a localized fire and a beaded wire in a
    situation that is indisputable and cannot be anything but an electrical malfunction. The focus of
    this article is on full room involvement and damaged wires. Determining whether the damaged
    wire is "cause" or "consequence" of an electrical event has been the source of numerous studies,
    articles, and investigations. NFPA 921 includes a section on electrical fires*. A review of the
    scientific literature makes it obvious that the scientific community is not as certain as to
    determining cause and consequence in full room involvement as one might expect.
    Dr. Vytenis Babraukas, one of the pioneers in employing science to fires noted "none of the
    proposed methods are promising"** in referring to several studies with regard to fire
    investigations and arcs and beads on wires. Over the years the authors have studied several test
    methods proposed to determine which came first -the arc or the fire. We hear terms such as
    elongated bead, change in color of copper, and other methods. The field investigator all too often
    "eyeballs" the wire and comes to a dramatic conclusion. It would appear that the worst method of
    determination is "eyeballing" of the wire. That method may be as reliable as using a divining rod
    to find water.

    Figure 1: The question in this localized fire is one of determining if the failure mode
    of the wire is case or consequence.

    There have been several methodologies presented over the years purported to be able to make
    conclusive determinations based on the gas content or molecular content of the beaded globule
    at the end of a copper wire. These methods were presented to put forward a scientific and
    conclusive way to determine if the wire was cause or victim of a fire. They appear to fail the test
    of rigorous scientific review.
    Dr. Robert Anderson used a technique called the Auger electron spectroscopy method to do
    analysis***. There were other methods that have been used including electron spectroscopy for
    chemical analysis (ESCA). Examination of ion mass spectrometry has been used. In all of the
    aforementioned techniques a sample of the copper globule is sent to a laboratory and
    examination is made of the layers of the globule after the upper portions of the copper are etched
    away. Studies are then made, depending on the method, of the ion content, oxygen content,
    encapsulated in the bead, or chlorine in the bead.
    We call your attention to the fact that no method leaves the analysis to a field investigator to
    simply "eyeball" the copper wire remains that are suspect.
    There is an assumption made by the various disciplines that the globule is frozen in time once
    formed and that content can give definitive information. That presents a dilemma in full room
    involvement. A fire of full room involvement can reach a temperature over 2000 degrees F.
    Copper melts at approximately 1890 degrees F. The products of a modern house include
    styrene's, polyurethane, and enough other material that the heat release rate (HRR) is
    spectacular and probably can compare to gasoline in preflashover conditions.
    There have been studies with regard to the grain of the copper or crystal structure in wire
    exposed to fire as opposed to the copper crystallization following manufacture.
    The studies and evidence give few conclusive answers as to "cause" or "consequence". In fact,
    the reading and review of the literature leaves one in a dilemma. More to the point it leaves the on
    site investigator with a healthy respect for the fact that a scientist may come along and dispute
    your findings. It appears that they may have an abundant amount of evidence to support
    opposing theories. Caution is the operative word here. With the federal court Judges as
    "gatekeepers" of expert witnesses under Daubert rulings, a fire investigator should be prepared
    for a rough ride if a challenge is mounted in an electrical fire and there is no real science behind
    the conclusion.
    * = National Fire Protection Association, NFPA 921 Guide to Fire Investigations, 2001
    ** = Babrauskas, Dr. Vytenis, Fires due to electrical arcing: can "cause" be distinguished from
    "victim" by physical or chemical testing, Fire and Science Technology
    *** = Anderson, R. N. Surface Analysis of Arc Residues in Fire Investigations. J. Forensic
    Sciences 34,633-637 (1989)
    Thomas Williams is a New England State Police Sgt and a Master Diver. He has attended
    numerous courses and conferences on fire origin and cause as well as engineering programs on
    computer modeling. He is a certified Fire and Explosion Investigator and the author of numerous
    articles on fire cause and origin and evidence preservation.
    Dan Mc Intyreis a Professional Fire Fighter for the City of Troy, N.Y. He is also a certified Fire
    Investigator and a twelve-year veteran of NYS fire investigations. He is the author of numerous
    articles on fire investigations. He is a staff member of Corporate Investigative Services and has
    served as the Director of Investigations for the past ten years.

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