Question

Discuss the difficulties in investigating an explosion scene.​ At least 200 words.

Answer 1

A fire can be a complex event whose origin and cause are not obvious.
Investigators may have to expend considerable time and effort
before the cause can be identified. This is the area where Holmes’
dictum is especially applicable. Without gathering data, the investigator
can only guess at what might have caused the fire, based on circumstances
alone. The training and preparation of qualified investigators
are often costly and time-consuming, requiring dedication to the
profession over many years.
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u The destructive power of the fire itself compromises evidence from
the outset. The larger a fire becomes and the longer it burns, the less
evidence of causation will remain. In some fires, sufficient data to
establish the origin and cause (i.e., evidence) do not survive, no
matter how diligent the search or well prepared the searcher. This
destruction may be exacerbated by the normal and necessary duties
of fire personnel carrying out rescue, suppression, overhaul, and
salvage tasks.
u The complexity of the threat a major fire presents to the health and
welfare of the community means that representatives from law
enforcement, fire, rescue, and emergency medical services; hazardous
materials teams; utility company personnel; health and safety
officers; and other public agency personnel may be on hand and may
conduct some obligatory official duties. The presence of so many
people, in addition to members of the press and the public who were
attracted by the sights and sounds of a major fire, offers yet more
chances for scene security to be compromised and critical evidence
to be contaminated, moved, or destroyed.
u Responsibility for the investigation of fires is split. While the fire
service has the primary civil responsibility to establish a fire’s cause,
if the cause is determined to be accidental, the scene is released to
the owner or the owner’s insurance company for further examination.
If the conclusion is that the fire was purposely set, a crime has been
committed and law enforcement authority is needed to investigate the
crime. This often means releasing the scene and evidence to a local
law enforcement agency. Where local law enforcement has inadequate
resources or personnel, an outside agency such as a State fire
marshal, or even a Federal agency (e.g., the Bureau of Alcohol,
Tobacco and Firearms [ATF]) may be asked to investigate. Any such
transfer may cause complications in establishing lines of authority. In
some agencies, investigative teams are composed of individuals from
both law enforcement agencies and fire departments so that the
continuity of the investigation can be maintained through both civil
and criminal phases. In a few cases, individuals have both law
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enforcement and fire authority, thanks to extensive cross-training,
so cases are handled from start to finish by a minimal number of
trained, motivated investigators.
u A lack of commitment to conduct fire investigations exists on the
part of some law enforcement and fire agencies. Because of the
demand for rescue, hazardous materials, and emergency medical
assistance, in addition to their traditional duties of fire suppression,
fire departments often find themselves with fewer resources to
stretch to cover all obligations. As a result, the less visible responsibilities
of fire investigation and fire prevention are often scaled back.
These cutbacks occur despite the advantages that aggressive programs
in both areas could provide to the individual department and
to the community it serves: Preventing a fire means there is no loss
of life or property, no risk to personnel, and no equipment costs;
investigating a fire means that potential accidental or criminal threats
to the community may be averted in the future. Law enforcement
agencies, facing similar overwhelming demands for their time, might
prefer not to become involved in cases where the scene is destroyed
or at the very least compromised, time-consuming scene examination
and interviews are required, and the resulting evidence is often
complex and circumstantial (meaning prosecutors may not want
to use it even if it is properly and completely collected).