Autopsy Findings: Fire Deaths

The autopsy evaluation of “straightforward” fire deaths

“…At autopsy, skin slippage may have occurred which could interfere with fingerprint identification [1]. Careful layer dissection and examination of remaining tissues and organs should be undertaken to look for evidence of injuries or lesions that do not seem to fit with the observed scene.…”

“…Fire deaths arise from a wide variety of events that range from isolated single domestic accidents initiated by a candle burning curtains to mass disasters involving dozens of victims in nightclub fires, or from arson for insurance purposes to culturally determined homicides in the form of dowry murders [1,2]. Autopsy evaluations have to be adapted for each of these situations and may be complicated by issues with identification, determination of the cause and manner of death, and interpretation of the potential significance of heat-related artefacts such as bone fractures and heat epidural hematomas [1]. Any approach to a fire death that assumes that all will be straightforward should be quickly abandoned, as each case must be examined with an open mind and an awareness of the numerous pitfalls that may be encountered.…”