MINIATURE FIRE BUILDINGS AID INVESTIGATION COURSE
TRAINING
With these portable models, instructors can easily stage various types of fires and situations. This flexibility makes them a valuable teaching tool.
Determining a fire’s cause and point of origin is the focus of a 12-hour program developed by Oklahoma State University Fire Service Training. Geared to first-inthe-door fire fighters, the course also emphasizes detection of accidental and incendiary fire.
Basic props for the course are two miniature fire buildings, which are fully furnished and burned to resemble a revenge fire, a kitchen fire, an arson fire, etc.
The course stresses group activities as well as unusual entities at the fire scene. Legal aspects regarding fire department responsibilities are also included.
The program covers the seven motives of fire setters, three motives discussed in length, as often a fire’s location will point toward a possible suspect. Segments concerning electrical fires, vehicle fires and wildland fires are also included, with a group activity or short quiz at the end of each segment.
Model construction
The model buildings are designed to resemble a three-room structure and a mobile home.
The exterior walls and bases of both models are constructed of 3/4-inch plywood The interior and exterior walls are separated by sheathing to represent studding; the sheathing also facilitates the replacement of a wall if necessary. Removable tops were constructed for easy transport and to give the investigating team a bird’s-eye view of each room. Two types of flooring, carpeting and tile, are used to show differences in char patterns.
The exterior walls of the three-room model measure 24 X 24 X 10 inches and a 12 X 12 X 10-inch interior wall is glued in one corner to represent a bedroom. All the interior walls have paneling, which is stapled onto the sheathing; carpeting is placed in the living room/dining room; and tile is placed in the bedroom.
The 12 X 40 X 10-inch mobile home is designed with a bedroom (12 X 12 inches), a kitchen (12X6 inches), a living room (18 X 12 inches) and a closet (12 X 6 inches). The bedroom and living room are carpeted; the kitchen and closet are tiled.
Furniture for the models can be found in hobby shops and, with a little imagination, extra furnishings can be homemade. Strands of wire can be shaped into clothes hangers. Simple patterns cut from a doubled piece of cloth and sewn resemble clothing. Tops from a heavy-duty glue container serve as flammable liquid containers. Birthday candles represent regular size candles, and small pieces of toothpicks represent matches.
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All furnishings that attach to or sit next to the wall (e.g., cabinets) are glued or taped down. Furniture such as chairs, tables, etc., are left free to aid in cause determination.
Before burning the structure, the miniature doors and windows are opened or closed, depending on the instructor.
Burning
After the models are completed and furnished, the burning begins.
A piece of metal about 1/2 inch long, held by pliers and heated to a high temperature and dropped onto a bed or overstuffed chair will resemble a cigarette burn. After the initial scorch, extra burning can be done as needed.
Burning should be completed in one room at a time, and planning ahead what the final product should look like is often beneficial.
Fuel for the fire can be anything from lighter fluid to a mixture of gasoline and diesel fuel. It is difficult at first to make the burn look realistic. The best way is to start small and add more fuel as needed. You don’t want all your efforts to go up in smoke. To keep smoke and flames from other parts of the model, a heavy cloth should be placed in the doorway.
Three fires were set inside the threeroom model: (1) a spite/revenge fire involving clothing and shoes on a bed; (2) an accidental smoking materials fire in an overstuffed chair; and (3) a total burnout involving arson for profit.
Four fires were set in the trailer model: (1) an arson fire to cover burglary in the living room; (2) an accidental kitchen fire which, with minor adjustments can be turned into an arson fire; (3) an accidental fire caused by a child playing in the closet; and (4) a spite/revenge fire in the bedroom.
Most indicators of accidental and incendiary fires can be staged, including Vshaped burn patterns, char patterns, forcible entry markings, flammable liquid pour patterns, etc. The fact that these indicators can be easily staged and the situations altered to completely change the cause of the fire makes these models a valuable teaching tool.
Final exam
The models serve as the program participants’ final test. The fire fighter, as a member of a team, is given a set of written scenarios and asked to determine the point of origin and the cause of seven different fires within the two miniature homes. The fire fighter is also required to list all indicators of either accidental or incendiary fire.
Alterations can be made to make the activity more interesting and realistic. For example, turning off the classroom lights and supplying participants with small flashlights gives a feeling of conducting an investigation with only a hand-held light source. Changing the written scenarios to reflect different situations can make each investigation different.
The program and especially the miniatures have had positive results throughout Oklahoma.