Title: (Optional) Identify the signs of an accelerant-initiated fire.
Course: Forensic Technology (15055) > Section: Analyzing Forensic Aspects of Arson and Explosion Investigations

Identification should include the following signs:

- Eye witnesses to the fire's behavior (e.g., a sudden low-pressure wave or vacuum sound just before ignition, an explosion, rate of spread was extremely fast, burned downward, rolling flames, bright orange flame with black smoke, flames burning from the floor)
- Areas of intense burn patterns
- Accelerant odor and the presence of empty accelerant containers
- Gaps in floor seams
- Rainbow-colored sheen on wet surfaces
- No discernible point of origin
- An inverted-cone pattern on the walls

Process/Skill Questions:

- What types of accelerants are common to arson scenes?
- What is arson?
- What is a Molotov cocktail? How does it function?
- What is the significance of finding an inverted-cone pattern on the walls?