Fire investigations

After a fire, owners need to know what happened to the building's systems, what can be saved and what has to be replaced. We provide engineering input on mechanical, electrical and life safety systems after a fire, working alongside the fire service, insurers and any origin and cause investigators involved.

Determining the origin and cause of a fire is the job of the fire department, provincial fire investigators and qualified origin and cause specialists, sometimes with police involvement. Our role is different. We look at the building systems: whether equipment played a part, how the fire and the response affected mechanical and electrical systems, whether the fire protection systems operated, and what is needed to get the building safely back into service.

What we look at

• Electrical equipment in and near the area of the fire: panels, wiring, appliances and equipment that investigators want examined.
• Mechanical systems: heating equipment, fuel lines, ductwork that may have spread smoke, and equipment exposed to heat, water and corrosive residue.
• Fire protection performance: alarm panel event history, sprinkler operation, smoke control and fire separations.
• Damage beyond the burn area: smoke and soot in ducts and equipment, water damage from suppression, and corrosion that appears in the weeks after.
• Maintenance and inspection records for the equipment involved.

How it works

1. We start with why. An owner, insurer or lawyer may need different things: technical input to an origin and cause investigation, a scope for restoration, or an independent opinion on equipment.
2. Coordination. We confirm access with the authorities and other parties, and agree how evidence will be handled so that everyone's interests are protected.
3. Site examination. We document conditions with photos and notes, examine the relevant systems and identify equipment that needs further examination.
4. Records and analysis. We review drawings, maintenance records and alarm panel data, and assess the systems against what we observed.
5. Report. We provide a written report and are available to discuss it with the parties who commissioned it.

What you get

A written report on the building systems: what we observed, what the records show, how the systems performed, and what repair or replacement is needed before reoccupancy. Where our observations bear on the cause, we describe them factually and leave the overall origin and cause determination to the parties responsible for it.

The restoration part of the report is often the most useful day to day. It separates equipment that can be cleaned and returned to service from equipment that should be replaced, and it flags items that need testing by a licensed contractor before anyone relies on them again.

Who it's for

• Building owners and property managers after a fire.
• Insurers and adjusters who need engineering input on building systems.
• Lawyers who need an independent technical review.
• Owners planning restoration who need a clear scope for mechanical, electrical and fire protection work.

Our guide on how a fire investigation works explains the process. For prevention afterwards, see fire alarm system inspections and infrared thermography for electrical systems.

Common questions