Fire and Explosion Science

Fire and explosion investigations require a specific set of skills utilizing a methodology based on the scientific approach. Our engineers and certified fire investigators have in-depth knowledge of fire investigation, fire science, fire scene safety, and building systems. Rimkus offers extensive experience in evaluating the origin and cause of fires and explosions involving vehicles, homes, schools, commercial and industrial facilities, agricultural and heavy equipment, and marine vessels.

When products, equipment, systems, or processes are suspected as contributing factors to a fire or explosion, our fire consultants collaborate with our engineers, chemists, materials scientists, and other specialized experts to perform detailed failure analysis and testing to verify the root cause and ignition sequence. We offer a comprehensive approach to isolating the facts and determining the origin and cause of losses.

It takes unique knowledge and experience to sift through a scene that is mostly ruin and destruction to find the clues that tell you what happened. Our team has decades of specialized experience determining where fires started and why fires and explosions have occurred.

Learn more about our Fire and Explosion Science Consulting services below.

Technical Practice Director

Director, Fire Practice Group

(601) 898-4738 waasbell@rimkus.com

SERVICES

Our Fire and Explosion Science Consulting Services

Fire Origin And Cause Experts

Faced with what appears to be nothing more than a charred pile of debris from a residential fire, a damaged hotel or restaurant, a fire-damaged vehicle, or the twisted ruins of refinery piping, our experts have uncovered the origin and root cause of thousands of fires and explosions. Only highly experienced professionals can perform the complex task of uncovering the origin and cause of a fire or explosion. Often, our fire and explosion experts engage and collaborate with our team of mechanical, electrical, and chemical engineers to determine the root cause of a fire event.
Structure Fires

Structure fires stem from a multitude of causes, including faulty wiring, gas leaks from inside or outside the structure, defective appliances, human error, and even arson. At Rimkus, our fire origin and cause investigators, electrical engineers, and mechanical engineers have investigated thousands of structure fires. Our experts have received special training in fire origin and cause, arson investigation, fire suppression systems, explosions, and all other areas of fire investigation including fire modeling.
Vehicle Fires

Faulty equipment or maintenance, electrical shorts or overloads, and vehicle accidents are often the cause of vehicle fires. In vehicle fire investigations, our fire experts determine whether the fire resulted from sources that may include work recently performed by a repair facility or defective equipment recently installed in the vehicle. When needed, our fire experts will engage and collaborate with our team of mechanical and electrical to determine the root cause of a vehicle fire.
Equipment Fires
Fires involving a myriad of equipment types begin with our certified fire investigators which can provide a quick response to the scene to document, process, analyze, and examine the cause of loss. Our fire investigators routinely determine the origin and cause of fires involving:
- Construction and heavy equipment
- Farm and agricultural equipment
- Manufacturing equipment
- HVAC equipment
- Electrical equipment
Explosions

Explosions can range from minor to catastrophic and our experts have investigated thousands of explosions of all types around the world. Whether involving chemical or mechanical explosions in industrial facilities, commercial buildings or residences, our experienced multidisciplinary professionals are qualified to determine what caused the explosion. Our experts can reconstruct the remaining evidence to help understand the origin and cause of the incident.
Recovery
A fire or explosion interrupts normal processes, displaces individuals, causes increased expenses, and can have huge impacts on businesses. Getting things back to normal is a difficult thing to do. To help you get your business back up and running, we offer the following services:
- Structural evaluations to determine the safety of structures following a fire or explosion event
- Determination of extent of damage resulting from fires and explosions
- Rebuild or replace decision support
- Project management support for rebuild or restoration efforts
- Restoration Design Services