Fire & Explosion Investigation
We investigate fires and explosions — origin, cause, and sequence — with the scene documented and the evidence preserved before it is lost.
A fire destroys the evidence of its own cause. Almost.
What survives a fire is rarely the answer — it is the raw material for one. Conductors, controls, relief valves, burner assemblies and failed components carry a record of what happened to them, and reading that record is engineering work. It is the difference between a report that says a fire started near the mechanical room and one that establishes which component failed, in what sequence, and whose obligation it was.
LaRovere Consulting investigates fire and explosion losses from the scene forward — where the fire started, what ignited it, and the sequence that followed. What sets the work apart is who is on the case: a scene investigator with fifteen years of investigative experience, eight years in the fire service and more than 1,200 documented hours of fire and explosives training, working alongside a licensed Professional Engineer.
Most firms field one or the other. Fire dynamics, electrical systems and combustion behaviour are engineering questions, and they decide cases. Our engineering bench is the same one behind our failure analysis and expert witness work.
- Origin, cause and sequence determined from the evidence, not assumed
- Scene response, evidence preservation and chain of custody from first attendance
- Hypothesis testing by the scientific method set out in NFPA 921
- Explosion and post-blast scene investigation, including contaminated scenes
- Licensed professional engineering behind the causation analysis
- Subrogation and defence work, same methodology either way
- Nationwide coverage including Hawaii and Alaska
Fire & Explosion Capabilities
Investigation from the scene through to the engineering — the whole chain that turns a burned-out building into a defensible answer.
Origin & Cause Investigation
Systematic examination of the fire scene to establish where it started and what ignited it. Burn pattern and fire travel analysis, area-of-origin determination, witness and first-responder accounts, and hypothesis testing against the physical evidence — worked by the scientific method set out in NFPA 921.
Explosion & Post-Blast Investigation
Blast damage assessment, debris field and fragmentation mapping, overpressure direction, and seat-of-explosion determination — including whether the event was a deflagration or a detonation. Conducted by personnel trained at the FBI Post Blast Investigators School and in large vehicle bomb scene investigation.
Scene Response & Evidence Preservation
Early attendance, scene documentation, item-level positional records, and chain of custody from recovery to laboratory. Evidence lost in the first week cannot be recovered later, and a sample taken without a defensible custody record is a sample the other side will move to exclude.
Electrical Fire Cause Analysis
Arc fault and short circuit evaluation, panel and branch circuit examination, overcurrent protection review, and connection failure analysis. We trace the fault path and evaluate it against NEC requirements and manufacturer listings to determine whether the electrical system was the ignition source or was damaged by the fire.
Mechanical, Gas & Pressure Systems
HVAC and refrigeration failures, compressor ruptures, natural gas and propane piping, regulators, venting and combustion appliances, boilers and pressure vessels. We evaluate leak paths, ignition sources, relief device function, and combustion air against the applicable mechanical and fuel gas codes.
Appliance & Equipment Examination
Examination of suspect appliances and equipment to determine whether an internal failure initiated the fire. We document the artifact, evaluate component condition, review recall and service history, and arrange protocol-governed joint examination so every party observes the same evidence at the same time.
Why the system failed
Led by a licensed Professional Engineer with MSME and CEM credentials and thirteen years in HVAC and MEP engineering. This is the analysis that answers the question a claim actually turns on: was the equipment defective, was it installed wrong, was it maintained, and was a safety device defeated or simply inadequate.
It is evaluated against the codes and listings that governed the installation, and it is written to be defended under cross-examination.
Keeping the evidence usable
Fire and explosion scenes are hazardous, unstable, and legally fragile. Ours are attended by personnel with fifteen years of law enforcement investigative experience, eight years in the fire service as firefighter and EMT, hazardous materials technician qualification, FBI Post Blast Investigators School training, and more than 1,200 documented hours of fire, explosives, and related technical training.
That is scene control, documentation, evidence recovery and chain of custody done by someone who has run scenes before — so the analysis that follows has something to work from.
Collected properly, or it is worth nothing later.
Physical evidence from a fire scene is examined once and argued over for years. How it was identified, documented, lifted, packaged and transferred decides whether the analysis that follows is admissible — and a sample collected without a defensible chain of custody is a sample the other side will move to exclude.
We document the scene before anything moves, record each item against its position, package to avoid cross-contamination, and maintain chain of custody from recovery through to the laboratory. Where analysis needs to go beyond what a site examination can establish, we submit to an accredited laboratory and interpret the results as part of the engineering opinion rather than passing a certificate along unread.
- Scene documentation and item-level positional records
- Ignitable liquid residue and debris sampling
- Failed component and conductor recovery
- Contamination-controlled packaging and chain of custody
- Accredited laboratory submission with engineering interpretation
Our laboratory testing service covers the analysis side in more detail.
What we will and will not put our name to.
Fire investigation attracts more junk opinion than any other forensic discipline, and courts have grown correspondingly sceptical. We would rather tell you the boundary of our work up front than have it found in a deposition.
What we do: determine origin, cause and sequence for fire and explosion losses; attend and document the scene; preserve and submit evidence; assess explosion and post-blast scenes; analyse the electrical, mechanical, fuel gas and pressure systems implicated in the loss; and testify to all of it.
How we do it: by the scientific method as set out in NFPA 921 — hypotheses developed from the evidence, tested against it, and discarded when it does not support them. Rejected hypotheses appear in the report alongside the accepted one, because an opinion that never considered the alternatives is not worth much.
What we will not do: name a cause the evidence does not support. NFPA 921 provides for an undetermined classification and we use it when it is the honest answer — an investigator who never returns undetermined is telling you something about their method, not about their cases. Where a matter needs a discipline we do not hold, we say so and bring in someone who does. An expert who claims every discipline is the easiest witness in the room to discredit.
Built for how these claims actually get resolved
Most fire and explosion matters are decided long before trial — on the strength of the evidence preserved in the first week and the quality of the report that follows. We work to that reality. Reports state the basis for every opinion and the alternatives considered; joint examination protocols are proposed early so no party can later claim they were shut out; and our engineers are available through deposition and trial.
If you are evaluating whether to retain an engineer at all, our note on how to retain an expert and on surviving a Daubert challenge cover what to ask before you engage anyone — us included.
How We Work
Scene Response & Evidence Preservation
Rapid site attendance, scene documentation, and identification of the artifacts that must be preserved. We establish chain of custody and issue preservation notice recommendations to counsel before anything is moved, because a fire scene degrades and evidence lost in the first week cannot be recovered later.
Engineering Examination
Systematic examination of the mechanical, electrical, and fuel gas systems in the area of origin. Where a component is suspect, we arrange protocol-governed joint examination so every party's expert observes the same evidence at the same time.
Causation Analysis
We develop and test hypotheses against the physical evidence, the system design, and the applicable codes and standards — following the scientific method as set out in NFPA 921. Hypotheses that the evidence does not support are excluded and documented as excluded.
Report & Testimony
A written report stating the basis for every opinion, the evidence relied on, and the alternative hypotheses considered and rejected. Prepared to withstand Daubert scrutiny, and supported through deposition and trial.
Backed by Recognized Standards
Work is performed and evaluated against the applicable NFPA and ICC codes and standards.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kinds of fire and explosion losses do you investigate?
We investigate losses where a building system or piece of equipment is the suspected cause: electrical fires, HVAC and refrigeration explosions, gas and combustion appliance incidents, boiler and pressure vessel ruptures, and appliance fires. Our analysis is engineering causation — determining whether a system failed, why it failed, and whether that failure caused the loss.
How is this different from a fire marshal's report?
A fire marshal investigates to establish whether a crime occurred and to satisfy a public reporting duty, usually under time and resource constraints, and that file is not prepared for civil litigation. We investigate for the parties carrying the loss. That means a fuller scene examination, evidence preserved to a standard that survives a spoliation challenge, engineering analysis of the systems implicated, and a report written to be defended under cross-examination. We frequently work from a marshal's report as a starting point rather than a conclusion.
How quickly can you get to a fire scene?
We typically respond within one business day, and we prioritise fire and explosion losses because the evidence is perishable. If the scene is still active or demolition is scheduled, call 480-626-2522 rather than emailing — the single most damaging thing that happens to a fire claim is evidence being discarded before it is documented.
Do you handle subrogation matters for insurers?
Yes. Subrogation is a significant part of this work: identifying whether a defective component, a negligent installation, or a failed maintenance obligation caused the loss, and documenting it to the standard required to pursue recovery. We also work the defence side, and we apply the same methodology either way.
Can you investigate an explosion scene as well as a fire scene?
Yes. Explosion scene work is a distinct discipline — debris field mapping, fragmentation analysis, and blast damage assessment. Our personnel bring more than 1,200 documented hours of fire, explosives, and related technical training, including the FBI Post Blast Investigators School, large vehicle bomb scene investigation, and hazardous materials technician qualification for scenes with a contamination risk.
Do you serve clients outside of Arizona?
Yes. We provide fire and explosion investigation services nationwide across all 50 states, including Hawaii and Alaska. Our team travels to loss sites and coordinates with local professionals as needed.
Ready to Get Started?
Contact us to discuss your project. Nationwide service, responsive timelines.