"Post-Fire" Investigation
Investigation of the Causes and Circumstances of Explosions & Fires.
Determine the Area of Origin, identify the Point of Origin, establish the Cause. A technical and scientific process, conducted in accordance with the "NFPA 921" methodology.
A scientific method in the service of technical truth.
"Post-Fire" Investigation, also known as the Investigation of the Causes and Circumstances of Explosions & Fires, is a technical and scientific process carried out after a loss. It is conducted in accordance with the "NFPA 921" methodology.
This process is based on a rigorous reading of the loss scene. Recording of the Combustion Traces and Fire Effects - TCEF, examination of the physical evidence still available. Every observation is documented. Every hypothesis is tested against the physical data. No speculation, no shortcuts.
The cause may be Established, or remain Undetermined when the physical evidence does not allow a determination. The result of a "Post-Fire" Investigation is never Probable. It is Established, or it is not.
Our scientific reference, "NFPA 921".
"NFPA 921" — Guide for Fire and Explosion Investigations — is the international methodological reference for "Post-Fire" Investigation. Published by the National Fire Protection Association, it structures the scientific method in six steps: recognizing the need, defining the problem, collecting the data, analyzing the data, developing and testing the hypotheses, reaching the conclusion.
FireLab Pyrénées™ has been applying this scientific method to all of its "Post-Fire" Investigations for more than 15 years.
International standards of forensic fire investigation.
FireLab Pyrénées™ operates within the international frameworks of the Investigation of the Causes and Circumstances of Explosions & Fires. Active membership of the two leading professional associations of fire and explosion investigators.
International Association of Arson Investigators
The leading international organization for investigators of incendiary and accidental fires. Founded in 1949.
Active member · New Jersey Chapter
European Association of Fire Investigators
The European branch of the IAAI. A continent-wide network of post-fire investigation experts.
Active member · IAAI Europe"Post-Fire" Investigation in practice.
What is RCCI?
RCCI is the French acronym for the Investigation of the Causes and Circumstances of Explosions & Fires (Recherche des Causes et des Circonstances d’Explosions & Incendies). It pursues three objectives:
— Determine the Area of Origin of the fire
— Identify the Point of Origin
— Establish the Cause where the physical evidence allows
The RCCI acronym also extends to Explosion. It is then referred to as the Investigation of the Causes and Circumstances of Explosions & Fires. The approach remains identical in principle, but incorporates the specific mechanisms of explosion.
What is the difference between the origin and the cause of a fire?
The origin is the place where the fire started. It is defined at two levels. The Area of Origin refers to a broader zone — a room, a space, a compartment. The Point of Origin refers to a precise location — an appliance, a substrate, a piece of equipment.
The cause is the mechanism that initiated the fire at this Point of Origin — an electrical fault, a heat source, a deliberate act.
The circumstances are the context in which the cause was able to produce its effects — work in progress, combustible materials nearby, an ageing installation. Cause and circumstances are two complementary notions. One explains the mechanism, the other explains why it was able to occur.
The Cause cannot be Established without first locating the Point of Origin.
How is the Point of Origin of a fire determined?
Determining the Point of Origin relies on the methodical reading of the Combustion Traces and Fire Effects - TCEF left on the scene. These traces are distributed in patterns that develop from the Point of Origin outwards to the periphery.
The investigator proceeds with an exterior survey, followed by a progressive examination of the damaged area. He links the indicators together — material deformation, residues, thermal markers — to work methodically back to the source.
It is a process of elimination. Every hypothesis is tested against the physical data. Only the one confirmed by the observations is retained.
What is an Established Cause under "NFPA 921"?
Under "NFPA 921", an Established Cause is a Cause Supported by verifiable physical evidence, for which all alternative hypotheses have been examined and ruled out.
A cause is never Probable at FireLab Pyrénées™. It is Established — or it remains Undetermined when the available evidence does not allow a conclusion.
It is this rigor that gives the investigation report its technical and legal value.
Do you also investigate explosions?
Yes. FireLab Pyrénées™ also investigates explosions — deflagrations, detonations, gas explosions, dust explosions, explosions involving industrial installations or technical appliances.
The process follows the "NFPA 921" methodology. For explosions, we look for the initiation zone — the place where the explosive reaction started — as well as the ignition source and the circumstances that allowed the explosive mixture to form.
Explosion & Fire have been at the heart of FireLab Pyrénées™’s work for more than 15 years.
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