How Fire Detectives Learn to Solve Burned Mysteries
Fire detectives, also known as investigators, are not born with their skills. They have to learn them, just like anyone else. In Minnesota, these detectives-in-training get a special kind of classroom: a house that has been set on fire on purpose.
The Training Ground
This house is located in a rural part of Anoka County. A few weeks ago, the Minnesota State Fire Marshal’s Office lit six different fires in this house. Then, they put them out. Now, they have brought students to the house. The students' job is to figure out what happened.
The Instructor
The teacher for this unusual class is Levi Roline, the Deputy State Fire Marshal for Minnesota. Roline is excited because he has a new piece of technology to show his students. This tech is part of the ever-changing world of fire detective work.
The Science of Fire Investigation
Fire investigation is one of the youngest forensic sciences. This means it is still developing and changing. Roline and his students are part of this development. They are learning how to process a fire scene and determine the origin and cause of a fire.
The Training Sessions
A few times a year, the State Fire Marshal’s Office holds these training sessions in different parts of Minnesota. The class lasts for two weeks. Students come from local fire departments and other agencies. One of the students is a forensic scientist working with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, analyzing fire debris in the state crime lab.
The Final Test
The final test for these students is to visit the house with the pre-staged fires. They have to see if what they learned in the classroom works in the real world. In this house, there are six different fire scenes and six groups of students. Each group has to figure out the origin and cause of the fire in their assigned room. They present their findings on the final day of class.
The Causes of the Fires
The fires in the house are a mix of different causes:
- Some are accidental.
- Some are due to carelessness.
- Others are intentional.
The causes range from bad wiring to sloppy smokers to arsonists.