It takes a team to solve a fire
July 26, 2021
State Fire Marshal Division Investigator and Trainer Kevin Mahle (center) walks two students through the basics of a fire investigation.
Imagine it: Your home or business, everything you've worked so hard for, up in smoke. Your family photos and old home movies reduced to ashes. Your files and records now piles of rubble. After a fire, you just want to know: What happened?
Fortunately, the firefighters and law enforcement who arrived on the scene were trained not only to put out the fire but to take the steps necessary to get an investigation started. And the investigation is the key to finding out how and where the fire started, whether it was deliberate, and who or what was responsible.
That sounds a lot easier than it is. Once a fire is over, the majority of the evidence is gone – and what's left could be the size of a grain of sand. And if the fire is arson, the evidence needs to be good enough to get through the court system. All that takes training – lots of it.
That's why every year, dozens of firefighters and law enforcement from across the state take classes in fire investigation from one person: State Fire Marshal Division Investigator and Trainer Kevin Mahle. Mahle doesn't just teach his students basic and advanced fire investigation; he teaches them about teamwork. No one can put out a fire or solve the mystery of its origin alone. Arson and fire investigations are a team sport.
Fire investigation courses give trainees a healthy understanding and respect of investigations so they don't accidentally destroy or contaminate evidence when responding to a scene. They learn to be part of the teamwork process and know where to turn next so the investigation is done properly. Ultimately, the first responders to a fire don't necessarily need to be able to solve the mystery of who or what caused it. They do need to know who to talk to and when so that the truth can be found and justice can be served.
Combined, the basic and advanced fire investigation courses give participants about 80 hours of training. Compare that to the years of training Mahle and his SFMD colleagues need to be certified as investigators, and you see how much there is to learn. What firefighters and law enforcement need to understand is what happens after the fire gets put out. They need to know the basics of burn patterns and other fire science.
Because when a fire burns down your home – when you lose everything you own – that's a life-changing event. The investigation that follows will have a direct effect on your life. So if that happens, you can take comfort in knowing that the first responders who arrive on the scene will take the correct steps to get the investigation started so that you can get answers.
