Fire Investigation INFOCUS podcast

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In this episode recorded at IAAI ITC in St. Louis, Chasity talks with Eastern Kentucky University students about two research projects. One examines whether measuring the size of melted wire globules can help distinguish arc damage from melting in common 10, 12, and 14 gauge wires. The other explores how repeated plugging and unplugging may contribute to mechanical fatigue in receptacles and, potentially, overheating. Neither project offers a conclusive field tool yet; both point to further testing and ways to build more measurable evidence for fire investigators.

The episode also highlights IAAI Student Committee meetings and student membership opportunities, with information at firearson.com. The hosts share upcoming chapter training events, then speak with Tim Costa of ITL Solutions about CleanSpace powered air purifying respirators, including updated protective kits with charging cases. The episode closes with a Fire Department Coffee reminder: use the link in the podcast’s Instagram bio and code INFOCUS for 10% off.

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Scott Kuhlman and Chasity Owens recap the California Conference of Arson Investigators’ fall conference, including live demonstrations, electrical training, and the strong turnout. They look ahead to the February conference, which will feature a live Scientific Advisory Work Group presentation and sessions on confirmation bias, fire dynamics, and defense challenges. They also share a short NFPA 921 refresher on the difference between a vapor and a gas.

Guest Melinda Rios joins the conversation to discuss how crime and intelligence analysis can support fire investigation. Drawing on her experience in law enforcement and her new role as a fire marshal, she explains how mapping, timelines, phone records, and other data can help investigators identify patterns, guide follow-up, support prevention, and organize case information. The group also discusses the limits of cell-site data, the need to consider alternative explanations and corroborating evidence, and how defense questions can strengthen investigative work.

The episode also shares information about IAAI student meetings and upcoming chapter trainings. Sponsor updates include an ITL Solutions offer for CleanSpace filters and a Fire Department Coffee discount for listeners.

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What can fire alarms, sprinkler systems, and suppression equipment reveal about a fire? In this episode, Scott Kuhlman and Chasity Owens explore NFPA 921 (2024), Chapter 8: Active Fire Protection Systems, and how these systems can help investigators reconstruct fire timelines, evaluate fire spread, and test origin and cause hypotheses. They discuss fire alarm event logs, smoke and heat detection, projected beam detectors, linear heat detection, acoustic soot agglomeration, and water-based and non-water-based suppression systems. The conversation also examines sprinkler performance, changes in building use, equipment placement, and the importance of comparing system design documents with actual installations. Throughout the episode, Scott and Chasity emphasize preserving electronic data and physical evidence, recognizing potential spoliation issues, and involving a qualified fire protection engineer or technician. Plus, hear field updates, Chasity’s experience using a CleanSpace half mask, training opportunities, and a terminology challenge: What is the difference between a vapor and a gas?

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What can a fire investigator learn from the remains of a burned smart outlet? In this short episode, Chasity and Scott speak with Eastern Kentucky University students Madison Hall and Elias Phipps at the 2026 IAAI International Training Conference in St. Louis. They discuss their research on identifying Wi-Fi-enabled smart outlets after a fire and distinguishing their components from those of standard AC adapters.

Madison and Elias burned and disassembled devices, then documented the surviving components with photographs and X-rays. In their experiments, relays and Wi-Fi chips remained recognizable even after substantial heat exposure. They explain how those components could help an investigator identify a smart outlet in a fire scene and decide what additional evidence to examine.

The conversation also explores why identification matters: a smart outlet can remotely supply power to a device that has already been left switched on. The students discuss a case from Sweden involving a remotely activated soldering iron, along with the potential value and challenges of obtaining device activity records. Their work offers a starting point for recognizing emerging technology in fire investigations and points to further research on the data these devices may retain.

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In this episode, Scott Kuhlman and Chasity Owens reflect on the 25th remembrance of September 11, 2001. Chasity shares what she remembers as a first grader in Kentucky, while Scott recalls watching the attacks as an off-duty firefighter and the lasting changes they brought to fire-service security, training, and emergency preparedness.

Scott and Chasity also catch up on listener messages from aspiring and working fire investigators. They discuss the importance of continuing education, developing specialized knowledge, and remaining passionate about professional growth. The conversation includes Scott’s current coursework in electrical theory and fire-dynamics modeling, along with upcoming fire-investigation conferences and training opportunities across the country.

The episode then turns to practical lessons from the field. Chasity explains how a dated hardware-store sticker on a receptacle helped establish when electrical work may have occurred after the occupants initially reported that no work had been completed. Scott shares lessons from a recent deposition, including the importance of carefully reviewing investigative reports, openly correcting errors, answering only the question asked, and understanding the differences between depositions, preliminary hearings, and courtroom testimony.

The hosts close with discussions about intumescent fire-protection materials, electrical wiring date markings, the National Electrical Code, and emerging uses of artificial intelligence in fire investigation. They emphasize that AI-generated information must be verified against authoritative sources and explain why sandboxing AI to trusted fire-science resources can improve accuracy and reliability.

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In this episode, Scott Kuhlman and Chasity Owens continue their NFPA 921 series with a breakdown of Chapter 7: Building Systems. They discuss how building design, construction methods, materials, concealed spaces, passive fire protection, and structural components can influence fire development, spread, and collapse. The conversation covers balloon-frame and platform-frame construction, lightweight wood trusses, fire barriers, steel protection methods including intumescent coatings, and the importance of comparing original plans with as-built conditions. They also explore heating systems, fuel types, flame sensors, rollout switches, and why fire-damaged equipment should be properly documented and preserved rather than operated at the scene. Along the way, Scott and Chasity share real-world fire service and investigation experiences and highlight practical resources such as NIST for continued fire investigation training and research.

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In this episode, Scott Kuhlman and Chasity Owens sit down with Fire Investigator Dennis Zigrang of Fire Cause Analysis of Idaho for a wide-ranging conversation about the realities of fire investigation across different environments, career paths, and investigative challenges.

Dennis shares his journey from a 25-year career with the Long Beach Police Department into fire investigation, private-sector work, and eventually owning his own fire investigation company. He discusses the steep learning curve investigators face when transitioning from public to private fire investigation and why strong mentorship, documentation, scene methodology, and continuing education are essential throughout an investigator’s career.

The conversation takes investigators into an environment many rarely encounter: fire scene examinations in extreme cold and snow. Dennis explains how snow can affect scene processing, equipment and battery life, evidence recovery, transportation, hydration, and even the timing of a joint examination. From using leaf blowers to remove fresh snow to heating structures, packing specialized equipment for Alaska, and hauling evidence through deep snow, the episode offers practical lessons for conducting safe and effective cold-weather fire investigations.

The discussion also explores Dennis’s course “Unusual Ignition Sequences: Thinking Outside the Box and Outside the Origin,” including electrical failures, open neutrals, solar radiation, reflection and refraction, and self-heating fires. Dennis and the hosts examine why investigators must look beyond the obvious area of origin and understand the actual failure sequence that brought the heat source and fuel together.

Dennis also discusses the science and misconceptions surrounding self-heating and spontaneous ignition, including stained rags, oxidation, microbial activity, mulch, and potting soil, emphasizing the importance of research and scientifically supported conclusions.

Finally, the group explores how investigators are beginning to incorporate artificial intelligence and transcription technology into their workflows. Dennis shares how he uses Plaud, custom AI templates, voice dictation, and ChatGPT to organize interviews, build timelines, document scene observations, and streamline administrative portions of reports—while stressing that investigators still have to verify the information and remain responsible for the final work product.

From extreme-weather scene examinations and unusual ignition scenarios to AI, mentorship, documentation, and the differences between public and private fire investigation, this episode is packed with practical insight for both new and experienced fire investigators.

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In this short episode, Chasity and Scott sit down with Eastern Kentucky University seniors Reuben Jasinski and Kaitlyn Cully at the IAAI International Training Conference to discuss their fire research involving refrigerators using R-600a butane refrigerant. Their study examined whether fire investigators can distinguish between fires originating inside the refrigerator compressor compartment and fires originating externally based on resulting fire patterns and component damage. The students discuss burn testing, compressor data plate damage, refrigerator compartment fire behavior, door pressurization, refrigerant-line failures, and how the additional fuel from butane can influence fire development and observed patterns. They also explain what their findings could mean for determining the area of origin during refrigerator fire investigations and identify opportunities for future research involving realistic kitchen environments and additional fuel loads.

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If you enjoyed the episode, give us 5 stars, hit the follow button, and subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and anywhere you are listening in from. 

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In this episode, recorded live at the IAAI International Training Conference in St. Louis, Scott Kuhlman and Chasity Owens sit down with Brazilian fire-safety professionals Colonel Paiva and Rogerio Lin to discuss the transformation of fire investigation in Brazil. Paiva shares how international training, IAAI certifications, NFPA guidance, and his commitment to accurate and thorough investigations helped expand formal fire investigation programs from only a few of Brazil’s 27 state fire departments to approximately 16. The conversation explores the differences between the Brazilian and United States fire-service and legal systems, the challenges of applying international certifications across different governmental structures, and the work underway to create Brazilian fire-investigation standards that reflect the country’s construction practices, language, culture, and regulatory system. Roger explains how passive fire protection, compartmentation, fire-resistant construction, material performance, and fire investigation work together to identify failures and improve future building safety. The guests also discuss emerging risks involving electric vehicles and thermal runaway, the need for standardized national fire data, cooperation between fire departments and law enforcement, and the role passion and persistence play in creating lasting change within the profession. The episode also includes updates from ITL Solutions and CleanSpace Respirators, information about the IAAI Evidence Collection Technician practical examination at the CCAI Conference, upcoming California Fire Investigator 1A, 1B, and 1C courses, and additional fire-investigation training opportunities across the country.

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What can burned human remains reveal about a fatal fire—and what evidence may be permanently lost when a body is moved too soon?

Recorded live at the IAAI International Training Conference in St. Louis, Scott Kuhlman and Chasity Owens sit down with forensic anthropologist Dr. Elaine Pope to discuss the investigation and recovery of human remains from fatal fire scenes. Dr. Pope explains how forensic anthropology, fire investigation, law enforcement, and medicolegal death investigation must work together to accurately interpret the scene, identify victims, preserve evidence, and provide answers to families.

The conversation explores how the human body burns in vehicle fires, structure fires, outdoor fires, and intentionally set fires; how burned bones can resemble drywall and other fire debris; and how fire patterns on the body may help investigators understand fire exposure and movement. Dr. Pope also explains why investigators should treat the body as evidence, leave it in place until it can be properly documented, and avoid assuming a fire death is accidental before the autopsy and complete investigation are finished.

The episode also recaps the Central California Forensic Fatal Fire Death Investigation Academy, addresses the long-standing myth that the human skull explodes during a fire, and provides practical guidance for investigators approaching their first fatal fire scene.

We Train Frequently: 

Georgia IAAI Conference — Savannah, Georgia: July 27–30, 2026

Tennessee IAAI Conference: August 17–20, 2026 

•  Includes AI for Fire Investigators

Hawaii IAAI Conference: August 26–28, 2026 

Nebraska Chapter Annual Fire Conference: September 15–17, 2026 

IAAI Evidence Collection Technician Practical — CCAI Conference: October 8, 2026 

Fire Investigator 1A — Hayward, California: September 14–18, 2026 

Fire Investigator 1B — Hayward, California: October 26–30, 2026 

Fire Investigator 1C — Hayward, California: November 16–20, 2026

Link to the Hayward training: 

https://my.cheddarup.com/c/fire-investigation-courses-60744/items

Thank you for listening! 

If you enjoyed the episode, give us 5 stars, hit the follow button, and subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and anywhere you are listening in from. 

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