An Island Publishers Newsmagazine

AFTER THE BURN

Sifting through the ashes

By CHUCK RUSSELL
This Week Staff

he distinct smell of
gasoline hung in the
air as fire inves-
tigators emerged
from Camosun College’s
daycare on Richmond Road.
A yellow police line sur-
rounding the daycare and ad-
jacent Richmond House,
flapped in the wind as
daycare workers stared in
disbelief at a smoke-black-
ened, basement window.
The early-morning fire fitted the

pattern of 17 other fires in the
Richmond — Cedar Hill Road area.

All are the suspected work of'a lone
arsonist.

The incidence of set fires spurred
the formation of an arson task force
comprised of fire and police inves-
tigators prior to the Camosun fire.
Within weeks of its formation a 25-
year-old Saanich man was ar-
rested. Although he was not
charged with arson, he has been
held for a 30-day psychiatric as-
sessment. If he is charged, the
strength of the prosecution will
depend in part on evidence
gathered by fire investigators.

In a world of hi-tech, computer
wizardry, the science of determin-
ing the cause of deliberately-set
fires relies on patient detective
work. And sometimes, upon an
investigator’s sense of smell.

Bob Jackson, investigation co-or-
dinator for the Office of the Fire

INVESTIGATOR Bob Jackson, of the Office of the Fire Commissioner, poses
with plans and photographs from a fire investigation. Detailed recording
of information at the fire scene helps investigators substantiate possible
Causes.

Phoio by CHUCK RUSSELL

Commissioner, said fire investiga-
tion is akin to archaeology. Both
involve reconstruction of past
events. Jackson, a former RCMP
officer, co-ordinates fire investiga-
tions throughout British Columbia
with the aid of 700 Local Assistants
to the Fire Commissioner (LAFC).

“The science of fire is a lifetime
study,” he said. “You have to know
burning temperatures of various
fuels and melting points of
materials.

“You're a quasi-electrical expert
and a quasi-construction expert.
And an investigative expert.”

As with most sciences, general
rules exist. Jackson, sitting in front
of a sign on his office wall which
reads “Arson Alert War Room,” ex-
plained fire tends to follow the path
of least resistance — similar to
water and electricity. Flames and

smoke both rise,
“fingerprints” which help inves-
tigators determine the movement
and origin of a fire.

The principles of investigation
apply to all types of blazes includ-
ing arson, which accounts for 20
per cent of fires in B.C.

“We study burn patterns .. .
smoke buildup on walls, soot buil-
dup on windows,” he explained.
“It’s almost like an arrow pointing.
The side exposed to the greatest
amount of heat receives the
greatest amount of damage.”

For example, the charring of
wood, known to investigators as al-
ligatoring, helps them pinpoint the
fire’s origin. Alligatoring generally
gets deeper the closer burnt wood
is to the origin.

Investigators painstakingly
record and photograph the physi-
cal evidence, collect samples for
analysis, and chart the fire’s move-
ment on building floor plans.

Much of this detective work is ©

done after a fire. However, what
happens during the fire also
provides important clues. Inves-
tigators rely heavily on the obser-
vations of firefighters and police
when they arrive at a fire.

“Firefighters are the frontline.
While they’re fighting the fire
they're being asked constantly to
make observations about what
they see and people at the fire.

“Especially with such a high con-
centration (of fires) in that area
(Cedar Hill — Richmond Road)
firefighters became an integral
part of the investigation.”

This summer, Jackson, the co-or-
dinator of the arson task force, has
worked closely with LAFCs and
local firefighters. Saanich fire
department chief investigator
Daryl Driemel, the Saanich LAFC,
shares J ackson’ s beliefin the value
of early observation.

Continued on Page 3

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INSTANT CLASSIC - that’s how
Dave Ryland describes ine
Marin Scorsese film Gooadfe-

6. See his Silver Screen column
on Page 19.