Fire and Explosion Investigations

There is no substitute for comprehensive fire investigation and Knott Laboratory’s expert investigators complement “standard” investigations carried out by insurance adjusters, first responders and other forensic experts. At each and every fire investigation we collect scientific and engineering evidence that can be presented in a court of law following NFPA 921 and 1033 guidelines.

From presumably simple fires to complex arson investigations, Knott Laboratory engineers are experienced experts at investigating residential, commercial, manufacturing and hazardous worksites to determine the cause and origin of fires and explosions and clearly presenting this evidence in court of law. Our team also investigates carbon monoxide cases of all levels of complexity.

Knott’s fire and explosion investigators/engineers evaluate building, mechanical, and electrical systems to determine the cause of structure fires. Knott is skilled at determining the effects of ventilation and fire progression to effectively establish the origin. As engineers, Knott regularly reviews how fire code requirements effected the cause of the fire. Knott’s fire investigation team has years of experience with both civil and criminal fire cases including personal injury, system/component failures, subrogation, natural gas explosions, and product liability.

Knott’s fire and explosion investigators/engineers can dissect complex vehicle fires via NFPA 921 and narrow down a specific origin. Vehicle fires are uniquely complex due to the high fuel load, hundreds of components, and relatively small compartment sizes. As trained forensic engineers, Knott can also recreate and evaluate fires that have resulted as part of a collision and determine which system failed and caused the fire, including those when federal motor vehicle safety standards (FMVSS) have been surpassed. Knott’s fire investigation team has countlessly determined the origin, cause, and liability of vehicle fires and aided in collecting damages for our clients.

As part of our fire investigations, Knott regularly documents, collects, and stores evidence for our cases that can be further examined in one of our laboratories or just maintained for future reference. Knott regularly collects appliances, mechanical and electrical components, and debris samples used to test for fire accelerants and their potential involvement in a fire or explosion.