Skip to main content

Bridging Explosives and Fire Debris Analyses

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Forensic Analysis of Fire Debris and Explosives

Abstract

Forensic laboratories occasionally receive cases that require both fire debris and explosive expertise to examine the evidence. Other times, cases do not fit neatly into either of these two categories, but fall somewhere in the middle. Examples of these include particular types of explosives, incendiary mixtures, and cases where investigators may not know if an explosion caused a fire or a fire caused an explosion. Potential approaches to analyzing the evidence, including data interpretation and reporting wording, are discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 49.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 64.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 99.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Defense Intelligence Agency (2012) Homemade explosives. Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  2. ASTM E1618-14 (2014)Standard test method for ignitable liquid residues in extracts from fire debris samples by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA, www.astm.org

  3. Reardon MR, Bender EC (2005) Differentiation of composition C-4 based on the analysis of the process oil. J Forensic Sci 50:564–570

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Reardon MR, Allen L, Bender EC et al (2007) Comparison of motor oils using high-temperature gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. J Forensic Sci 52:656–663

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Hibbard R, Goodpaster JV, Evans MR (2011) Factors affecting the forensic examination of automotive lubricating oils. J Forensic Sci 56:741–753

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Brumley WC, Jones WJ, Grange AH (1995) A survey of potential applications of high-temperature capillary gas chromatography for environmental analysis. LC GC 13:228–236

    Google Scholar 

  7. Buyten J, Duvekot J, Peene J, Musschee Ph (1991) A capillary column for hightemperature gas chromatography. Am Lab 13:8

    Google Scholar 

  8. Roehner RM, Fletcher JV, Hanson FV (2002) Comparative compositional study of crude oil solids from the trans Alaska pipeline system using high-temperature gas chromatography. Energy Fuels 16:211–217

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Chakraborty A, Bagchi S, Lahiri SC (2015) Studies of fire debris from bomb blasts using ion chromatography, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and fluorescence measurements—evidence of ammonium nitrate, wax-based explosives and identification of a biomarker. Aus J Forensic Sci 47:83–94

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Reardon MR, Proudfoot JE (2007) Oils and waxes in composition C-4 and emulsions: a comparison of intact samples to post-blast residues. In: Proceedings of the 9th international symposium on the analysis and detection of explosives, Paris, July 5, 2007

    Google Scholar 

  11. Beveridge A (ed) (2012) Forensic investigation of explosions. CRC Press, Boca Raton

    Google Scholar 

  12. Conkling JA, Mocella CJ (2011) Chemistry of pyrotechnics. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL

    Google Scholar 

  13. Arsenal Picatinny (1974) Encyclopedia of explosives and related items. Dover, Mineola

    Google Scholar 

  14. Dean WL (1984) Examination of fire debris for flare (fusee) residues by energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry. In: Proceedings of the international association of forensic sciences, Oxford, 1984

    Google Scholar 

  15. Nesvold S, Pacholke K (2012) Detecting and confirming the presence of road flare residue in fire investigations. In: Proceedings of the 5th international symposium on fire investigation science and technology. National Association of Fire Investigators, International, Sarasota, 2012

    Google Scholar 

  16. Stauffer E, Dolan JA, Newman R (2008) Fire debris analysis. Academic Press, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  17. Kirkbride KP, Kobus HJ (1991) The explosive reaction between swimming pool chlorine and brake fluid. J Forensic Sci 36(3):902–907

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Martin-Alberca C, Ferrando JL, Garcia-Ruiz C (2013) Anionic markers for the forensic identification of chemical ignition Molotov Cocktail composition. Sci Jus 53:49–54

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Hutches K, Lord J (2012) A new kind of Molotov? Gasoline-pool chlorinator mixtures. J Forensic Sci 57:1064–1069

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2003) Homemade chemical bomb events and resulting injuries—selected states, January 1996-March 2003. MMWR 52:662–664

    Google Scholar 

  21. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2013) Homemade chemical bomb incidents—15 states, 2003–2011. MMWR 62:498–500

    Google Scholar 

  22. Wade D (2013) Ignition devices for prescribed burning. http://southernfireexchange.org/SFE_Publications/factsheets/2013_3.pdf. Accessed 20 Mar 2018

  23. SEI Industries (2017) Fire ignition sphere. http://www.sei-ind.com/products/fire-ignition-spheres. Accessed 20 Mar 2018

  24. Beveridge AD, Greenlay WRA, Shaddick RC (1983) Identfication of reaction products in residues from explosives. In: Proceedings of the international symposium on the analysis and detection of explosives, Quantico, 29–31 Mar 1983

    Google Scholar 

  25. Nowicki J, Pauling S (1988) Identification of sugars in explosive residues by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. J Forensic Sci 33:1254–1261

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. McDonald K, Shaw M (2005) Identification of household chemicals used in small bombs via analysis of residual materials. Paper presented at the 57th annual meeting of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, New Orleans, Feb 2005

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2019 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Evans, M. (2019). Bridging Explosives and Fire Debris Analyses. In: Evans-Nguyen, K., Hutches, K. (eds) Forensic Analysis of Fire Debris and Explosives. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-25834-4_10

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics