FIRE INVESTIGATION

We have extensive experience investigating fires involving a wide range of domestic, commercial, and industrial equipment, providing clear and impartial expert reports suitable for litigation and insurance claims. Our investigations help identify the cause of incidents, preserve critical evidence, and assist in the recovery process where liability may arise..

Our experts regularly investigate fires involving a wide range of equipment, systems, and environments, including:

• Vehicles, including cars, light vehicles, buses and heavy goods vehicles
• Plant and mobile equipment, such as forklift trucks
• Construction plant and machinery
• Agricultural equipment

Even where vehicles are heavily damaged, our investigators can identify remaining evidence and determine the most probable ignition source and failure mechanism.

Electrical faults are a common cause of fires in both domestic and commercial environments. We investigate fires involving:

• Electrical equipment and installations
• Domestic electricity supply equipment, including consumer units and main fuses
• Domestic appliances and white goods
• Computers, including desktop and laptop systems
• Inverters and electrical conversion equipment
• Air conditioning and refrigeration plant
• Extraction and ventilation systems
• Battery-powered devices, including, mobile phones, e-cigarettes, and vape kits

Our investigations address fires caused by defective equipment, installation failures, electrical faults, overloading, misuse, and deliberate tampering.

We provide expert analysis in cases involving heating equipment and fuel-burning appliances, including:

• Gas stoves and gas cylinders
• Boilers and heating plant
• Open fires and solid fuel stoves
• Flues and chimney systems
• Improper use or storage of fuels

Our reports examine potential failures in design, installation, maintenance, and operation.

Our experts also investigate fires arising from industrial processes and equipment, including:

• Power generation plant
• Welding and cutting operations
• Air conditioning and refrigeration plant
• Dust and powder explosions
• Extraction systems and ducting
• Floor sanding residues and combustible dust

These incidents often involve complex fire dynamics and multiple potential ignition sources, requiring specialist technical expertise.

We investigate explosions resulting from a wide range of causes, including:

• Gas leaks and gas escapes
• Improper use of fuels
• Industrial processes
• Fine powders and combustible dust
• Pressurised containers such as aerosol cans

Our analysis identifies the sequence of events leading to the explosion and the underlying failure mechanism.

Our team has extensive experience investigating property fires where arson is suspected. We can:

• Examine the fire scene for indicators of deliberate ignition
• Assess fire patterns and burn characteristics
• Review available physical evidence
• Identify suspicious circumstances
• Provide expert reports for legal proceedings

Where appropriate, we highlight any concerns to our instructing principals and provide objective evidence to assist further investigation.

Determining the origin of a fire is essential to identifying its cause. Following instruction, our experts will:

• Gather all relevant information relating to the incident or claim
• Conduct a detailed examination of the fire scene
• Preserve and document critical evidence
• Identify potential ignition sources and fuel loads
• Analyse the fire development and spread

This structured approach ensures that our conclusions are technically sound, evidence-based, and suitable for court proceedings.

We regularly investigate domestic, commercial, and industrial building fires, including complex losses involving:

• Large commercial premises
• Multi-occupancy buildings
• Industrial sites
• Residential properties

Where necessary, we attend promptly to ensure that repairs and reinstatement work can commence while preserving crucial evidence. Complex commercial fire losses often involve multiple parties, significant evidence collection, and difficult site conditions, all of which our experts are experienced in managing.

Ideally, we need to visit a fire scene immediately, but a site inspection may not be possible or may occur long after the incident. We can provide desktop expert reports, analysing:

• Fire brigade and incident reports
• Photographs and video evidence
• Witness statements
• Laboratory results
• Retained exhibits

These reviews allow us to provide expert opinions on origin, cause, liability, and recovery prospects even where physical access to the scene is limited.

If you would like to instruct an expert or discuss a potential fire investigation, please contact Strange Strange & Gardner to speak with our team.