Fire Department, ATF conduct arson investigation training

FORT CARSON, Colo. -- As more than 40 fire investigators watched intently, two fireman set a flame inside a mock living room at the Fort Carson fire department training area March 28, 2016.

Less than a minute later a sofa inside an open-ended cargo container was completely engulfed. Flames crawled up the wall beside the sofa, smoke poured from the ceiling, and an overwhelming heat wave successfully pushed a crowd of investigators, television cameras and reporters back. Moments later the makeshift living room had transformed into a large fire. A lone upholstered desk chair, positioned 5 feet from the cargo container, began expelling smoke at first and then simply burst into flames.

The demonstration showed what happens many times during a structure fire. In a phenomenon known as a flashover, objects subjected to intense heat, even at a distance, can ignite in a split second.

With help from a small amount of accelerant, it took less than four minutes for the small flame to grow into a raging inferno.

Once given the signal, Fort Carson firefighters switched on their hoses and extinguished the blaze in mere seconds. It was all part of a weeklong training exercise that helped fire investigators from around the state learn some of the intricacies of their craft.

The training, conducted by instructors from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Fort Carson Fire and Emergency Services, provided the latest knowledge of fire investigation principles and techniques.

Even as the blaze simmered, students and instructors began inspecting the container's remains, looking for clues as to its origin. Could the blaze have been the result of arson or perhaps natural causes?

"Fire investigation is probably the most difficult investigation to work," said Tim Kelly, ATF group supervisor for the arson explosive enforcement group. "In most crime scene investigations you have some type of evidence that's recognizable. The problem with arson investigations is the whole structure has gone down, so you're tearing parts of the building away. And what's remaining you have to identify and ensure that this is part of an arson scene. You have to obtain the evidence on scene."

Students, made up of fire and police investigators, continued their coursework throughout the week, which included classroom and outdoor practical exercises and demonstrations. Later in the week, they were tasked with finding the origin of a fire based solely on their post-incident inspection.

"This is important training," Kelly said. "People lose their lives to fires and millions of dollars in lost property occurs every year. It's critically important that we train our fire investigators to really understand what has happened at a scene so that we can affect a criminal case."

Glen Silloway, Fort Carson Emergency Services fire chief, explained that once a fire occurs, investigators then go in and look for different burn and scar patterns as well as smoke and heat as means for finding clues to a fire's origins, where the blaze started and what started it.

"This training strengthens what I already know and what we as a department perform and practice," said Capt. Jeff Loveless, Colorado Springs Fire Department deputy fire marshal. "Every time we have a fire we want to use the same type of methodology to get to the root of the fire. This is also an opportunity to work with our partners in the fire service around the state."