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In this episode, Scott Kuhlman and Chasity Owens continue their NFPA 921 series with a breakdown of Chapter 7: Building Systems. They discuss how building design, construction methods, materials, concealed spaces, passive fire protection, and structural components can influence fire development, spread, and collapse. The conversation covers balloon-frame and platform-frame construction, lightweight wood trusses, fire barriers, steel protection methods including intumescent coatings, and the importance of comparing original plans with as-built conditions. They also explore heating systems, fuel types, flame sensors, rollout switches, and why fire-damaged equipment should be properly documented and preserved rather than operated at the scene. Along the way, Scott and Chasity share real-world fire service and investigation experiences and highlight practical resources such as NIST for continued fire investigation training and research.

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In this episode, Scott Kuhlman and Chasity Owens sit down with Fire Investigator Dennis Zigrang of Fire Cause Analysis of Idaho for a wide-ranging conversation about the realities of fire investigation across different environments, career paths, and investigative challenges.

Dennis shares his journey from a 25-year career with the Long Beach Police Department into fire investigation, private-sector work, and eventually owning his own fire investigation company. He discusses the steep learning curve investigators face when transitioning from public to private fire investigation and why strong mentorship, documentation, scene methodology, and continuing education are essential throughout an investigator’s career.

The conversation takes investigators into an environment many rarely encounter: fire scene examinations in extreme cold and snow. Dennis explains how snow can affect scene processing, equipment and battery life, evidence recovery, transportation, hydration, and even the timing of a joint examination. From using leaf blowers to remove fresh snow to heating structures, packing specialized equipment for Alaska, and hauling evidence through deep snow, the episode offers practical lessons for conducting safe and effective cold-weather fire investigations.

The discussion also explores Dennis’s course “Unusual Ignition Sequences: Thinking Outside the Box and Outside the Origin,” including electrical failures, open neutrals, solar radiation, reflection and refraction, and self-heating fires. Dennis and the hosts examine why investigators must look beyond the obvious area of origin and understand the actual failure sequence that brought the heat source and fuel together.

Dennis also discusses the science and misconceptions surrounding self-heating and spontaneous ignition, including stained rags, oxidation, microbial activity, mulch, and potting soil, emphasizing the importance of research and scientifically supported conclusions.

Finally, the group explores how investigators are beginning to incorporate artificial intelligence and transcription technology into their workflows. Dennis shares how he uses Plaud, custom AI templates, voice dictation, and ChatGPT to organize interviews, build timelines, document scene observations, and streamline administrative portions of reports—while stressing that investigators still have to verify the information and remain responsible for the final work product.

From extreme-weather scene examinations and unusual ignition scenarios to AI, mentorship, documentation, and the differences between public and private fire investigation, this episode is packed with practical insight for both new and experienced fire investigators.

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In this short episode, Chasity and Scott sit down with Eastern Kentucky University seniors Reuben Jasinski and Kaitlyn Cully at the IAAI International Training Conference to discuss their fire research involving refrigerators using R-600a butane refrigerant. Their study examined whether fire investigators can distinguish between fires originating inside the refrigerator compressor compartment and fires originating externally based on resulting fire patterns and component damage. The students discuss burn testing, compressor data plate damage, refrigerator compartment fire behavior, door pressurization, refrigerant-line failures, and how the additional fuel from butane can influence fire development and observed patterns. They also explain what their findings could mean for determining the area of origin during refrigerator fire investigations and identify opportunities for future research involving realistic kitchen environments and additional fuel loads.

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