Fire Investigation Exam Review

Which of the following temperatures and relative humidity’s is best for storing most evidence?

50° and 20% humidity.

What are the best tools for examining wildland fires?

Magnifying glass, magnet, probe, or comb.

Which of the following temperatures and relative humidity’s is best for storing most evidence?

50° and 20% humidity.

What are the best tools for examining wildland fires?

Magnifying glass, magnet, probe, or comb.

Timers and delay devices can be employed to allow the fire setter?

Time enough to leave the scene without the risk of injury

Disclosure Act.

The federal government and most states have laws that make valuable information available to fire investigators under the mandate

In the scientific method, testing the hypothesis uses whatform of reasoning?

Deductive reasoning

Fire play-caused wildfires are those started by:

Children aged 12 or less.

In an RV fire, the investigator might want to examine a galley cabinet in order to find:

Information about major appliances

Analysis of the depth of charring is most reliable for:

Evaluating fire spread

Which of the following is defined as “the measure of the rate of heat transfer to a surface?”

Heat flux

Which of the following is the type of mechanical explosion that will encountered most frequently by the fire investigator?

BLEVE

Which of the following minimizes improper fusing and makes tampering and bypassing more difficult?

Type S fuse.

Multiple fires and trailers are often associated with:

Incendiary fires.

Which of the following is NOT one of the major factors affecting fire spread in a wildland fire?

Creeks.

The motive for most child fire setters is:

Curiosity.

Which of the following is defined as “the succession of events and conditions that allow the fuel and oxidant to interact in the appropriate quantities and circumstance for combustion to begin?”

Ignition Sequence

The fire investigator should ensure that the investigation will not be contrary to post-incident orders given by a local, state, or federal agency because these orders often pertain to issues like:

The legal right of entry and obtaining warrants.

In the positive pressure phase of an explosion, the expanding gases are:

Moving away from the point of origin.

When placed against a wall, the flame from t3 b urning fuel package will bend toward the restricting surface (wall) due to:

Imbalance in air flow.

Besides topside/cockpit, which of the following is NOT one of the three major compartments on a boat?

Cargo.

In an explosion, the origin is often referred to as the:

Epicenter.

The term “neutral plane” is associated with the:

Air and gas flow in a compartment fire.

Inductive reasoning is associated with which of the following steps of the scientific method?

Develop a hypothesis.

The Steiner Tunnel Test is used to assess:

Flammability

Which of the following is defined as “a process whereby material undergoes a chemical reaction and increases in temperature solely due to exothermic reactions between the material and the surrounding atmosphere?”

Combustion

Which of the following is “the weight of materials that are part of a building, such as structural components, roof coverings, and mechanical equipment?”

Dead Load

Which of the following is NOT true about seat of an explosion?

It's the location of the point of initiation.

Inverted cone patterns are commonly caused by the:

Vertical flame plumes not reaching the ceiling.

Thermal conductivity, density, and heat capacity are the three components of:

Heat Conduction

Flashover defined as a

Transition Phase

What type of a fire investigation might be subject to Admiralty Law?

Boat fire.

Dual element fuses have one element for overloads and another element for:

Short circuits.

Which of the following is defined as “a chemical process of oxidation that occurs at a rate fast enough to produce heat and usually light in the form of either a glow or flame?”

Combustion

Oil leaks may result in fires:

After the vehicle is turned off.

The Supreme Court (Michigan v. Tyler, 436 U.S. 499) held that an initial fire investigation at the scene of a fire may continue for:

A reasonable amount of time.

The VIN number for a car is most often found:

On the driver’s side dash panel.

Which of the following statements about static electricity is NOT true?

Leaded gasoline has low conductivity and little chance of producing a static charge.

During a fire investigation and before the initial scene assessment occurs, the fire investigator should:

Get property owner permission to Enter the scene.

Which of the following is defined as “any person, entity, or organization, including their representatives, with statutory obligations or whose legal rights or interests might be affected by the investigation of a specific incident?”

Interested parties.

The gathering and sharing of information, documents, and evidence prior to a trial is known as:

Discovery.

Most contamination of evidence occurs during the:

Collection of liquid and solid accelerants.

In which of the following circumstances is the probability of an accidental vehicle fire very low?

After being stolen

Which of the following has the greatest peak heat release rate (unconfined burning)?

Polyurethane sofa.

Narcotic gases are associated with:

Fire-related injuries and deaths.

The purpose of a sequential pattern analysis is to: 18.2.3 Sequential Pattern Analysis.

Determine the area of origin.

Lighting, plumbing, HVAC, and electrical are all types of:

Sketches.

Regarding scene safety, the best way to make sure that the electricity is off is to:

Check the breakers.

Which of the following is “a term used to describe a product being loaded into a tank or compartment that previously held a product of different vapor pressure and flash point?”

Switch loading.

Which of the following is defined as “the accountability of a person or other entity for the event or sequence of events that caused the fire?”

Responsibility

In order for a mis-driven staple or nail to be a source of ignition, it: 9.11.9.3

Close proximity to ignitable fuel.

“Initiation of combustion by heat but without a spark or flame” is the definition of:

Auto-ignition

The first duty for the fire investigator at the scene of an explosion is to:

Secure the scene of the explosion.

It is important for the investigator to know of steel cores and copper windings because that appliance transformers are usually made

Both will survive fires and can be examined. 26.5.5.1

Which of the following classifications of motive is most rare?

Sexual gratification.

Which of the following is defined as “the sudden conversion of potential energy (chemical or mechanical) into kinetic energy with the production and release of gases under pressure?”3.3.56

Explosion

Federal records pertaining to liquor dealers, tobacco products and firearms registration are housed in the:

Department of Justice.

A request for a court to take action is known as a:

Motion.

What type of shape does a parting arc leave on a solid copper conductor?

Notch

The initial fuel commonly found in a landfill equipment fire is:

Combustible debris

Definition of responsibility in fire-causing events

Accountability of entity for the fire.

Which of the following “results from an object blocking the travel of radiant heat form its source to a target material on which a pattern is produced?”

Heat shadowing

A GFCI would most likely be found in which of the following rooms?

Bathroom

Which of the following is most closely associated with an ignitable liquid?

Doughnut-shaped pattern

A gas meter is used to:

Identify if flammable vapors are present.

Mechanical sampling devices and evacuated air sampling cans are two collecting:

Gaseous samples like fuel gases.

When an incendiary device is discovered that has NOT activated, the fire investigator should: 24.2.6 Incendiary Devices.

Not move it under any circumstances.

Which of the following is the ordinarily sustained burning mode in most fires?

Diffusion flame burning

The ignition sequence seeks to determine:

how the fuel first ignited, and the ignition source came together.

In a fire investigation, nondisclosure agreements:

Protect confidential, trade secret, and proprietary information.

A single phase, alternating current has:

Two insulated conductors which are 180° out of phase.

If a fire investigator observes bending and buckling of steel beams and columns this means:

That the material was in close proximity to the fire’s origin.

Which of the following is a logic diagram that can be used to analyze a fire or explosion?

Fault tree

Which of the following “is based on the predictable behavior of energized electrical circuits exposed to a spreading fire?”

Arc mapping

In hybrid agricultural vehicles, which of the following should NOT be opened by anyone other than a trained professional?

Battery pack

Electric blankets:

Can overheat and ignite if wadded or folded up.

The type of liability which pertains to manufacturers and sellers is known as:

Product liability.

The rainbow effect is seen:

On water

In a criminal trial, the burden of proof is:

Beyond a reasonable doubt.

Which of the following is NOT a low explosive?

Straight dynamite

A grounding electrode must be driven into the soil to a:

Depth of 8 feet.

Flammable gases can only be ignited by a spark or pilot flame:

If the spark or flame has sufficient energy.

The rate of fire growth as determined by witnesses is:

Tends to overestimate the actual fire growth.

Records from liquor sales, inspections, as well as gun purchases and records are maintained by the following jurisdiction:

Dept. of Justice

The average car has three (3) main compartments- passenger, engine, and cargo. An RV generally has how many main compartments for the investigator to consider:

6

If the investigator is trying to document and verify the HIN, he/she is involved in what type of fire investigation?

Boat fire

The Steiner Tunnel Test is used to monitor/test for the following regarding materials:

Fire spread

Like the topside/cockpit, which of the following is NOT a major compartment regarding boat fire investigations?

Cargo compartment

Which of the following factors are NOT important when conducting a Wild Land fire

investigation (factors regarding fire spread)?

Creek/River

The production OR presence of “narcotic gases” is an important item of documentation regarding what aspect of fire investigation?

Fire/explosion related death investigation

All of the following EXCEPT ONE are examples of Concealed Spaces:

Rooftops

Fire deaths can occur from the following:

All of the above

In a fire, a human body is usually completely consumed.

False

The court of record usually permits a fire and explosion investigator to refresh his/her memory from his notes while testifying in a deposition or trial.

True

Adequate debris removal is essential in an origin investigation.

True

A BLEVE is a type of explosion involving the ignition of a dispersed vapor cloud.

False

Which of the following is NOT one of the three (3) elements of arson?

There has been a burning of property

A deflagration resulting from the sudden introduction of air into a confined space containing oxygen deficient products of incomplete combustion is called:

Backdraft

What does the “V” in a V-pattern represent?

The geometric shape of the pattern

Protected areas result from an object or item prohibiting the products of combustion from

depositing on materials which the object protects.

True

The investigative tool used to graphically, or in a narrative manner, depict events relating to a fire or explosion in chronological order is called:

Timeline