by Robert Rappaport | Apr 13, 2021 | Articles, Fire Investigation
During March 2021, I instructed a 40-hour fire investigation class hosted by the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD). Following classroom instruction, we went into the field for practical application. Students learned to read fire effects and patterns on actual burned...
by Robert Rappaport | Sep 25, 2020 | Articles, Fire Investigation
For multiple months, a serial arsonist had been setting fires in Shelby, a town west of Charlotte, NC. As an arson investigator, I often look for both geographic patterns where the fires are set, as well as the way they are started. Motives as to why the individual is...
by Robert Rappaport | Sep 25, 2020 | Articles, Fire Alarm
This video illustrates the danger of using a hand sanitizer near a candle flame. A woman in Texas used the sanitizer on her hands, then lit a candle, causing the vapors to ignite. She received serious burns as a result of the incident. Many household chemicals can be...
by Robert Rappaport | Apr 23, 2020 | Articles, Fire Alarm, Fire Investigation
Fire/security alarm data has been very useful as a tool in many aspects of fire investigation. The following are uses I have discovered and utilized on multiple fire scenes: 1. Determination of the area of the fire’s origin. 2. Determination of the time that the fire...
