As a witness you are a member of the forensic fire investigation, here's 20 questions you may be asked..

  Fire is on everyone's mind this year, the great amount of rain we had coupled with the mild temperatures of spring time led to an abundance of tall grass, weeds and undergrowth. The winter rains were followed by days of temperatures exceeding 100 degrees F, rapidly drying out the

The rain made it beautiful, the hot sun made it
dangerous, this is now bone dry. 

landscape. Fires in the city's are on the rise as well, many of them have been proven to be "Arson", the intentional act with the intent to start a fire solely for the purpose of destroying a structure. Some are set in vengeance, insurance settlements and some are set by people just to see stuff burn. I'm sure there are many psychological explanations for being an arsonist, I am not qualified to comment on the aspect. There is another side of fires, whether arson or not, wildfire or city fire, that other side is the people who are the first to come upon a fire. They are considered "witnesses".
  In the event that you come on a fire come forward to the fire department or police department as a witness. Don't decide by your self if what you saw is valuable to understanding what took place, the fire inspector will determine that. After presenting your self as a witness you are expected to tell investigators what you saw, smelled, heard, and observed. When lives and property have been damaged one of the worst things to do is to walk away after being a witness not telling anyone what you saw, it's important. It's in society's interest to have every fire solved, and any cause identified, we can all help as witnesses. Our co-operation normally brings about changes in the fire safety in buildings. Click here for San Francisco's 2016 new fire safety requirements.
  There are two types of witnesses:
1) People that saw the fire start, or arrived within minutes after ward.
2) People that were not on the scene and not close enough to see what happened, these individuals are familiar with the area of the fire and the buildings or terrain.
  Witnesses in category 1 are able to describe either how it started (if they saw it) or the speed and direction of the fire spreading after first ignition. Sometimes a witness is someone that smells smoke then opens a door and is met with fire. Some questions asked by the fire inspector may include:
 1) Were you there when the fire started? If so explain what you saw prior to the fire starting, what were the conditions leading up to the start.
  2) The first time you came in contact with the fire what did you see?
  3) The first time you saw the fire what did you do?
  4)  Do you know of any hazards that existed prior to the fire?
  5) Did you notice any paint, chemicals or combustibles in the area?
  6)  When you first saw the fire, what color was it, how did it act, how hot was it, was it moving rapidly? (rapid fire questions? No you will have time to think and answer).
  7)  Did the fire smell abnormal, what color was the smoke, was there a lot of smoke?
  8)  Where did the fire start.
  9)  Were any people in the vicinity when you first noticed the fire? Do you know them, if so who was it.
  10) If people were present what were they doing? Were there cars in the vicinity, did any drive by, if so can you identify them?
 

The fire inspector works in the public interest, they will appreciate your help
not to worry, they won't have you sift through the ashes. 

 As the primary witness for the forensic fire investigation it is prudent to write down what you saw at the earliest possible opportunity, do not remain in the area to gather this information, your first duty is to stay out of harms way.  A request may be made to record your findings, that is a voluntary choice to be made by you.
  The witnesses in the 2nd category have information on how the fire spread, however the most important information they have is of residence. These witnesses most of the time have information pertaining to the conditions of the area prior to the fire. Knowledge of suspicious activities, feuds, arguments, threats and the like. If the local that suffered the lose is a business many times employees are 2nd category witnesses. Some other questions they may be asked are:
  1) Did you discover the fire, did someone tell you? How did you find out about the fire?
  2) When did you first discover the fire?
  3) Did you call anyone and report the fire? If so what did they say? Did they do anything that you know of?
  4) Tell us what you saw at the fire scene, everything you can remember.

Would you have considered Guy
Faulks suspicious?

  5) Did you see any one the area, near the building, in the field or walking by? Do you know them, did they look familiar?
  6) Why were you there?
  7) What goes on around here during the day and night? Did any thing out of the ordinary occur that day, week, month?
  8) What time did you come upon the fire? Are you sure of the time?
  9) Do you know the people normally here? Do you converse with them?
10) Have you observed any suspicious activities over the past few months?
  Normally there will be more questions than you have answers for, relax and be truthful everything will be fine. It is best at the first opportunity to write down everything you remember about the event, everything, don't hold back on anything. The investigator will ask for your contact information, it is rare during an investigation to not come upon the need for more questions to be addressed. This is especially true if it turns into a fire arson investigation, it is then criminal. Read a paper on "Expert" witness questions, click here.
In summary it is a good practice to be forthcoming and completely honest with the investigators, they truly do work in the interest of society. Their main goal is to discover the cause of the fire and if it is arson, the perpetrators are held responsible. Whether a wild fire or a city fire, if you discover it, call 911, before doing so know where you are. Street address, city, as well as your name and telephone number. Know what to expect sometimes takes some stress out of trying situations, this brief description is close to what will take place if you are a witness. Thanks for reading, leave a comment or suggestion I appreciate it!

jacquesandkate  emergencykitsplus.com