Dispelling another old wives' tale: Low burn not proof of an incendiary fire

摘要

Since its inception in 1992, National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 921, Guide for Fire and Explosion Investigations, has dispelled many old wives' tales of fire investigation, like spalling, annealing of bed springs and crazing of glass, but one indicatorrnsome investigators still use - and ofter abuse - is low burn. Some point to areas of low burn as conclusive proof an accelerant burned in a room or structure, so the fire must have been incendiary. While it's true burning liquid accelerants can cause burning at floor level, as NFPA 921 points out, accelerants are not the only factor in the production of low burn patterns. (See related story in Fire Findings, Vol. 11, No. 2.)