A basic study of the properties of accelerants in fire residues for better sampling in arson analysis

Abstract

Some basic physical aspects of the accelerants in fire residues and their effects on the detectability of the added accelerants were investigated based on a few simple experiments conducted on various accelerants and matrices. In order to more precisely locate the points where the accelerants have been added by the arsonist and to decide what kind of sample container can best fit the established arson analysis procedure, a series of experiments were also performed including those assisted by a dog.

Fire investigation and ignitable liquid residue analysis—A review: 2001–2007

“…Optimized conditions for SFE of petroleum-based fuels from fire debris have been reported [226]. Even though steam distillation has been all but abandoned by the fire debris analysis community, a recent article has described the efficacy applying micro-steam distillation directly to fire debris [227].…”