Fire + Explosion Investigation + Analysis

Fires in commercial equipment or industrial settings occur frequently and lead to business interruption, lost revenue and significant repair costs. Our team of experts determine whether the fire was caused by a lack of maintenance, operating procedure, manufacturing defect or a failure of the suppression system. This information can be critical in receiving insurance payments or pursuing litigation.

We investigate a range of vehicles, including standard road vehicles and prototypes, as well as large heavy machinery such as those used in the agricultural, industrial and construction industries. We cover fire and explosion investigation, root cause failure analysis and provide advice to client on recovery or repudiation prospects. Our investigators are also experts in lithium-ion battery technology – an increasing threat in electric and hybrid vehicles, and always stay up-to-date on recall notices.

Battery failures are often the culprit in a large variety of fire investigations. We are uniquely positioned to determine the origin and cause of almost any battery fire. In recent years, lithium-ion batteries have become the dominant rechargeable battery chemistry for consumer electronics due to their higher energy densities. We help you to understand why lithium batteries fail and conduct analyses of battery remains to identify whether the battery was the origin of the fire and the mechanism of failure for the battery.

We provide electrical forensic analysis of utility power, electrical distribution, appliances, electronics and battery systems to determine why a failure occurred. Any fire in a structure, vehicle, system or device will usually have an electrical system that powered or controlled its performance. Our electrical fire investigators conduct testing and develop the forensic science used to evaluate electrical devices, including receptacles, low voltage devices and battery fires.

The experience of a domestic fire can be traumatic often resulting in the loss property and disruption to everyday life. Domestic fires can occur for numerous reasons. Utilizing industry-accepted forensic methods, our team of fire investigators will objectively survey the damaged scene to establish origin and cause of fire with the prospect of recovery, repudiation and liability in mind. Our findings and conclusions will support insurers claim decisions by helping them determine whether a fire was accidental, natural or deliberate.