Witnessing Arson or even the start of a fire is more important than many of us realize, read on for what to do.

“Why do you have a cigarette lighter in your glove compartment?" her husband, Jack, asked her. "I'm bored with knitting. I've taken up arson”
― Audrey Niffenegger, Her Fearful Symmetry

Arson is difficult to prove if we are a witness the odds will
be improved. 

This time of year fire is on every resident of the Western United States mind. The rain we had over the winter, coupled with the mild temperatures of springtime lead to an abundance of tall grass, weeds, and undergrowth. The winter rains have been followed by days of temperatures exceeding 100 degrees F, rapidly drying out the landscape. Many fires are suspected to be "Arson", which is defined as "the intentional act with the intent to start a fire solely for the purpose of destroying a structure." Some are lit for vengeance, some for insurance settlements and some are set by people just to see stuff burn.
There are many psychological explanations for the causes for a person becoming an arsonist. 

There is another side of fires, whether they are arson or not, wildfire or city fire, the people who are the first to come upon a fire, are considered "witnesses".
 
In the event that you see a fire when it is started, or shortly after, you have just become a witness. It is not your decision to determine if what you saw is valuable to understanding what took place, the fire inspector will decide that. After presenting your self as a witness you will be 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 without telling anyone what you saw, the information you have is important. It's in society's best interest to have every fire solved, and any cause identified, we can all help by volunteering what we see to the fire inspectors.
 
There are two types of witnesses:

1) People who see the fire as it is started, or arrived within minutes afterward.

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 the buildings, terrain, and they are more aware of people that frequent the area.

Fire inspectors are meticulous. 

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 the 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 fire starting.
 
2) When you initially saw the fire what did you see?
 
3) What action did you take after you realized a fire had started?
 
4)  What is your experience with the area?  Do you know of any hazards that were in existence prior to the fire starting?
 
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? You as a witness will be asked a lot of questions, with plenty of time to think and answer them.
 
7)  Did the fire smell abnormal, what color was the smoke, was there a lot of smoke?
 
8)  Do you know where the fire started?
 
9)  Were any people in the vicinity when you first noticed the fire? Do you know them, if so who was it?
 
10) Did you notice if anyone else was present? If so what were they doing? Were there cars in the vicinity, did any drive by, if so can you identify them?
 
(Follow this Link to read more on how to be a good witness.)

As the primary witness 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 harm's way.  A request may be made to record your findings, that is a voluntary choice to be made by you. Contact may be made with the fire inspectors after the emergency phase is over, it will be studied for several weeks.
 
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 loss is a business many times employees are 2nd category witnesses.

Huge crowd, how many are 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) What time of day did you first discover the fire?
 
3) Did you call and report the fire? If so what was the conversation? Did they initiate any activities that you know of?
 
4) Tell us what you saw at the fire scene, everything you can remember.
 
5) Did you see anyone in the area, near the building, in the field or walking by? Do you know them, did they look familiar?

6) Why were you there? There will be numerous questions pertaining to your activities in the direct area and how familiar you are with it.
 
7) What goes on around here during the day and night? Did anything out of the ordinary occur that day, week, or month? This is where the true value of a local resident is important, people are astute and notice when situations are out of order.
 
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? Are you on friendly terms with them?

10) Have you observed any suspicious activities or people merely "hanging around" over the past few months?

 (Follow this Link for an explanation of Witness Statements)

Normally there will be more questions than you have answers, just relax and be truthful everything will be fine. It is best at the first opportunity to write down all you remember about the event, everything, don't hold back. 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.
 
In summary, it is 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 accountable. Whether a wildfire 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. Knowing what to expect will remove some stress out of what could prove to be a trying situation. This brief description is close to what will take place if you are a witness.

Thanks for reading and sharing, the chances of becoming a witness to arson is fairly low, but it is incredibly important if you are. To report as a witness is entirely voluntary.

jacquesandkate  emergencykitsplus.com