Published Books and Standards

Below are key technical resources for fire investigators. Use the links in the headings to purchase the documents or learn more.

NFPA 921 Guide for Fire and Explosion Investigations:

NFPA 921 is considered the ‘standard of care‘ of fire investigations. It describes in detail the scientific method to apply in fire and explosion investigations, and has technical information on topic ranging from fire dynamics to electricity. Public and private professionals have long seen NFPA 921 as a valuable resource in the field and in training.. This is the document generally used in courts to evaluate the reliability of fire investigations in both civil and criminal trials.

NFPA 1033 Standard for Professional Qualifications for Fire Investigator

NFPA 1033 identifies the minimum job performance requirements necessary to serve as a fire investigator in both the private and public sectors. It applies to all fire investigations — including vehicle and non-structural fires.

Kirk’s Fire Investigation

Kirk’s Fire Investigation is a valuable resource for fire investigation. Unlike a technical standard, it is easy-to-follow book to learn about the entire fire investigative process. Specialized topic include use of scanning and panoramic photography, preparation of comprehensive reports, the ignition matrix, expert testimony, computer modelling, and laser imaging.

Ignition Handbook

The Ignition handbook by Dr. Vytenis Babrauskas is a excellent technical resource to have for information on specific topics. It is a massive book, consisting of 1116 pages. Unlike Kirk’s which can be read cover-to-cover, the Ignition handbook is where one would use the appendix to find research on specific topics such as timelines of ignition of cardboard from smouldering cigarettes or low-temperature long-term pyrolysis of wood. It has an ‘A-Z‘ of Ignition; an alphabetically-arranged compendium ranging from “Accelerants in incendiary fires” to “Zirconium.”

A Guide for Commercial Kitchen Fires

Phil Ackland’s guide for commercial kitchen fires focuses on fire protection and fire investigation of fires in cooking appliances in commercial kitchens. The chapters range from an introduction to fire science and basics of a commercial kitchen exhaust system to code requirements and what to document during an investigation.