Passenger Vehicles

Passenger vehicles consist of vehicles you would see on the highway such as cars and pickup trucks. Fires in passenger vehicles can happen a number of different ways and times, both while the vehicle is being driven or parked and can occur when a vehicle is parked in a structure. Origin determination is important to identify a compartment of origin or a localized point of origin. Multiple potential vehicle causes are present throughout, including failures in primary or secondary electrical systems, hot surface ignition, causes involving the release of ignitable liquids onto an operating or hot exhaust components, releases of atomized fuel which can be ignited by exhaust or the alternator and result in an explosion. Or failures in rotating mechanical equipment leading to friction, heat, and a fire. Human related causes are also present, both in the passenger compartment consisting of careless disposal of smoker materials or an intentionally set fire which can occur in any compartment or the vehicle exterior. Given the wide range of vehicle systems and potential fire causes a specific knowledge of vehicles and vehicle systems is required to investigate fire losses in passenger vehicles to determine an origin and cause of the fire.

Types of investigation