FIRE CAUSES. INVESTIGATION OF FIRES

Fires do not start without any cause. The most important fire prevention method is the thorough investigation of every fire. It is necessary to determine the correct cause, origin and responsible persons to prevent future fires. Information obtained from a thorough investigation must be recorded in proper form. Firefighting and investigation require specialized knowledge of how fires start, how various fuels burn or explode, and how various fires occur. The discovery of a suspicious fire leads to a more thorough investigation. It helps to identify the type of the fire (a fraud fire, a revenge fire, an extremist group fire, a deliberately set fire, a concealing another crime fire).

The determination of fire cause is usually a department task. If the initial investigation revealed a suspicious fire, the investigation involves the state fire marshal (начальника пожежної частини), police department (правоохоронні органи), insurance investigator. The important initial investigation is usually done by the officer-in-charge of the fire. This investigation must determine where the fire started and its probable (можливу) cause. Fire causes generally fall into two categories: an accidental and a deliberately set fire. If the investigation leads to the conclusion of an accidental fire, it is necessary to find the answer to such questions: Did a violation of fire safety rules cause the fire? Was violation detected previously? If detected, why wasn’t correction made?

The firefighter plays an important role in the investigation. To an investigator a burned out area is a big puzzle. A good investigator will seek information from the firefighter. The fireman is able to supply the data that can help to detect the cause of the fire, the origin of the fire or to convict the arsonist. There are certain (певні) aspects of the fire that only the firefighter can tell the investigator. He is the first to arrive at the fire scene. The firefighter can help the investigator by his observations, his ability to recognize and preserve the evidence. A fire investigation requires much information. A firefighter even gives the information, the investigator did not ask about. Some of the trivial incidents can become very important.

When an alarm is received, the firefighter adapts himself to an emergency situation. He must be aware (знати) that he will find himself in a physically hazardous and mentally stressful atmosphere (потрапити в небезпечну для здоров’я та психологічного стану атмосферу). On the way to the fire the firefighter must notice the weather conditions, such as rain, snow, ice, wind direction and velocity, temperature, visibility, traffic conditions and the number of persons in the street.

Information that can help to determine the cause of the fire and its proofs is obtained from observing the fire and witnesses’ behaviour (за поведінкою свідків), the conditions of the fire scene. Thorough investigation prevents the reoccurrence of fires in future.

Вправа 8. Дайте відповіді на питання до тексту.

1. What is necessary to do in order to prevent fatal fires? 2. What does fire investigation require? 3. What is the reason for more thorough investigation? 4. What types of fires can you identify? 5. When are the state fire marshal, police department, insurance investigator involved in the fire investigation? 6. The important initial investigation is usually done by the officer-in-charge of the fire, isn’t it? 7. What two categories of fire causes do you know? 8. What must the firefighter do to help the investigator in his work? 9. How must the firefighter act when the alarm is received? 10. Can you explain why the firefighter must be very observant?

Вправа 9. Перекладіть подані слова та словосполучення:

а)to determine the correct cause of fire; origin of fire; a responsible person; a thorough investigation; to be recorded in proper form; a suspicious fire; to be involved into the investigation; an insurance investigator; a deliberately set fire; to lead to the conclusion; to play an important role; to seek information from the firefighter; to convict the arsonist; to arrive at the fire scene; to adapt oneself to an emergency situation; a hazardous atmosphere; on the way to the fire; to notice the weather conditions; a concealing another crime fire; to obtain information; to observe witnesses’ behaviour; to prevent the reoccurrence of fires;

б)метод попередження пожеж; розслідування пожеж; визначати тип пожежі; навмисний підпал; початковий етап розслідування пожежі; ймовірна причина пожежі; випадкова пожежа; порушення правил пожежної безпеки; прибути на місце пожежі; зберігати докази; потребувати інформації про пожежу; отримати сигнал тривоги; спостерігати за поведінкою свідків пожежі; надзвичайна ситуація; рух транспорту; швидкість та напрямок вітру; горіти; вибухати; палій; видимість; приборкати будь-яку ситуацію.

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