Paul A. Tekorius, CFEI
Director, Renewables
Get to know the expert
Expert QuestionS & AnswerS
What diagnostic method or technique do you rely on in fire and explosion science that non-experts would find surprising?
I use a layer by layer approach in processing the fire scene. Each progressive layer down takes us back in time as the fire spread dropped material onto the previous layer. This could be thought of as an archeological dig in smaller scale.
You have trained others in your field and testified as an expert witness in court. What is the biggest challenge in communicating complex fire and explosion investigation findings to a non-technical audience like a jury?
Using language that everyone can understand. Too often we use technical terms, acronyms or slang that is confusing. I like to explain things in two different ways and see if my audience understood one of them.
In explosion investigations, how do you distinguish between different ignition sources — especially when the blast itself destroys much of the physical evidence?
The question has a false premise. The blast can alter the shape and size of the evidence very rarely is it destroyed. Careful, diligent processing of the scene and reconstruction can provide information / data and then the scientific method can be applied.
What is a common assumption about how fires start that your investigations have proven wrong?
Using the rumor mill about a fire cause. People often hear of a fire and heard it was X. They will take that cause and apply it to their situation, despite the physical evidence, data, photographs and eyewitnesses all pointing to a different area of origin.
What is one thing about fire science that would surprise most people?
That we use science to determine where the fire started – the origin. Then we identify all of the potential causes and use science again to determine which was one started the fire.
Background
Mr. Paul Tekorius has a Bachelor of Science degree in Administration of Justice and is a Certified Fire and Explosion Investigator specializing in renewable energy. He has investigated over 100 wind turbine generator fires and countless commercial solar inverters.
Mr. Tekorius started his career as an US Army Engineer Officer during the first Gulf War. His unit was considered a theatre asset working on numerous infrastructure projects in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. Returning to the States, he was sworn in as a Deputy Sheriff with the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office in Oregon. There he began as a patrol deputy responding to calls for service, interviewing witnesses, processing crime scenes, handling evidence, and testifying at trial.
Because of his prior military service, he was selected to be a bomb technician. Mr. Tekorius graduated from the Hazardous Devices School at Redstone Arsenal and worked with the Portland Metro interagency team. His advanced training was as an explosive breacher. He pursued additional training and became a Certified Fire and Explosion Investigator.
After law enforcement, Mr. Tekorius founded his own highly successful fire investigation company, performing traditional origin and cause work prior to specializing in renewables. He has worked on nearly every type of wind turbine generator platform and manufacturer. He is GWO climb certified for onshore and offshore access. He has testified in state and federal courts, qualifying as an expert in both fires and explosions.
Mr. Tekorius is a known leader in the industry with a deep engineering, scientific, and investigative background.
Education and Certifications
- Administration of Justice, B.S.: Portland State University
- Certified Computer Fire Modeler: Portland Community College
- Private Investigator: Oregon, California, Montana, Texas
- Global Wind Organization: On-Shore and Off-Shore Wind Turbine Access Certified
- OSHA 10, General Industry
Associations and Memberships
- International Association of Bomb Technicians and Investigators (IABTI)
- International Association of Arson Investigators (IAAI)
- National Association of Fire Investigators (NAFI)
- Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SPFE)