Page 24 - Special Issue Forensic PDF Updated

Forensic News Journal
1st International Forensic Science E-Conference
©2014-2021 SYT Global, Inc.

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS GALLERY

Questions asked to Mr. Robert Schaal Sir
and their Answers
3. If there have been two or more products
1. What are the specific burn patterns that may contributing to the fire accident , is it possible
indicate criminal activity in Fire Investiga- to differentiate between the different sources
tion??? providing a plausible explanation for the
- From payal tripati same?
-Sneha Narayanan
Fire patterns that might indicate a criminal

event or intentionally set fire include multiple Having two or more products simultaneously
points of origin or fire seats and trailers (in- fail resulting in a fire is a rarity but in such a
cluding liquid accelerants or other items) used case, we would examine and test all products
to communicate fire from one area to another. to see if it could be determined if the failure in
one caused the observed reaction in the other.
In the end we try to get down to a singular
2. In some fire death cases, however, fire fight- cause that resulted in the heat, fuel, and oxy-
ing material such as water or the material in gen coming together in the right circumstances

the fire extinguisher, or some foreign bodies for a fire to occur.
such as small metallic pieces of the melted
window-frame, may be seen in the trachea and 4. If one of the causes of the fire has been
bronchi. What do we conclude from this and deliberate and other accidental, can it still be
how do we proceed with further investigation? possible to solve the case as one cause may
- Sushmitha Jain have triggered the other?
- Sneha narayanan
Generally, when soot and foreighn bodies are
found deep in the respiratory system such as in Yes, it is possible to solve the case and pos-
the trachea and bronchi, it is an indicator that sibly assign responsibility in the scenario you
the victim was alive and breathing during the present. While we work to test all hypothesis
fire event. It is not uncommon to encounter until we have only one valid one remaining,

melted metals in a fire with aluminum being if there are two left during the course of an
the most common due to its relatively low investigation, with one intentional and one
melting point of 1200 F. What would cause accidental, we will continue to gather informa-
that to be inhaled or potentially “forced” dur- tion and perform testing with the goal of defin-
ing suppression efforts would have to be a ing if the intentional act led to the failure in a
determination made on scene based on the evi- product or conversely if the way the product
dence and circumstances. The assistance of a burned might have produced false indicators
forensic pathologist would also be beneficial. of a deliberate act.

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