how is possible to recognize what started a house fire?
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Fires and fuels burn in predictable ways, so someone who knows what to look for can usually determine the likely cause. Common domestic ignition sources are fairly well known- such as electrical wiring, cooking appliances and candles. If it appeared the sofa had burst into flames with no apparent source of ignition, then you would suspect arson.
The same way it’s possible to discover who murdered a body discovered in the middle of nowhere. Investigation.
Fire investigators have many techniques and steps they follow to narrow down their search to the cause.
In some cases it’s obvious, if the homeowner says they were baking cookies, left the room, and came back and the kitchen was on fire. It tracks that the place to start looking for causes is the oven.
In cases where it isn’t entirely obvious, there are some common causes that are places to start looking, like electrical fires, that all leave their own patterns and evidence behind.
It also helps to remember that not every house fire ends with the house being 100% destroyed, this is usually rarely the case, so there’s always some evidence left behind to start with.
We also have data on how long it takes for different buildings with different types of building materials to burn, people have burnt down test houses and test structures to see what happens differently. For example how long it takes for a house with faulty electrical to burn down compared to a house that had gasoline dumped on it. This data can be compared against the scene to help determine what the likely cause was.
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