Frequently Asked Questions About Fire Investigations
We are here to assist you and
your insurance company in determining the origin and cause of fires and
explosions.
This process can generate a lot of concerns and questions for you. We
have designed this FAQ page to help answer some of those questions and
ease your concerns about the process..
The questions below are commonly asked questions from people who
have suffered a fire loss. However, if you find you have more questions or
concerns about your specific loss, that are not covered here, our
contact information is listed as well. We are very sorry for your loss
and we hope to provide you and your insurance company with the best
service possible to help you through this process. 
Why does IRIS Fire have to investigate when the fire department already conducted an investigation?
Why does IRIS Fire investigate the fire if the cause is already known?
Why is the investigation going to take so long?
What happens to me? What am I supposed to do during this time about a place to live?
Can I get a copy of the report when you are finished with the investigation?
Why does it take so long to get a report?
What about the items you are taking from my house?
Will I get a bill for your investigation?
Do I have a choice whether or not I need your services for my case?
What exactly do the investigators at IRIS Fire do?
Can you provide me with some answers on the type of coverage I have with my insurance policy?
How do you protect undamaged portions of my home during the investigation?
Can I start cleaning up the mess and debris in my home?
Why does IRIS Fire have to investigate when the fire department already conducted an investigation?
Generally speaking, fire departments may not always have the time and
resources necessary to thoroughly conduct an investigation into a fire
loss. As a private
investigation firm, we can provide the resources and time necessary to devote
to your fire scene.. Another
reason is generally, your
insurance company needs to use an independent investigator and not use
the fire department as their resource or agent to determine the origin
and cause of your fire..
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Why does IRIS Fire investigate the fire if the cause is already known?
Typically we are
assigned to investigate the fires that are classified as accidental fires or to
validate, or test,
what has already been reported or determined by the public agency. When
an accidental fire classification is identified, it is important to investigate
in order to identify the failure
mechanism, or cause for the fire..
With a understanding of the cause of the fire, we may be able to
prevent other fires from occurring in the future. If in fact there is an
identifiable failure mechanism associated with the fire cause, it
needs to be thoroughly investigated to identify that failure, and so we can notify the
appropriate people or agencies who may be able to prevent future losses..
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The reasons it may take so long are many.. However, most delays occur if we have identified a product failure, an installation problem, or a maintenance problem as a potential cause for the fire.. If this is the case, we have to notify those “interested parties”.. We have to put them on notice and give them an opportunity to see the fire scene as we have seen the fire scene.. Typically, that notification comes from the legal counsel of your insurance company. It is customary to allow 5-10 business days for the interested parties to get to the scene.. Of course, there are a number of factors which may extend that time..
We all gather at the scene at the same time. We excavate and collect the evidence, and may take it back to a lab to evaluate it at a future date.. Once the investigation teams are finished at the scene, your insurance company may then move forward and start to repair the damages..
Sometimes the scene examination can occur
much sooner if the issues are involving local interested parties. For example, if
it is an installation issue on a heat producing device, those people are
generally local and we can contact them much quicker, and the
investigation can commence in a much shorter period of time.
Generally speaking though, if it involves major appliances, or systems,
it could take anywhere from 5-10 business days (or longer) before they are able to
get out to the scene to afford them that opportunity..
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Am I allowed to be part of the investigation and come to the scene when the investigators are there?
You certainly are allowed if you want to. If you feel up to it, we would
welcome you to come to the scene and if you have any particular
information that you could provide everyone at once, it would certainly
benefit you. However, it is not necessary that you show up. We at IRIS
Fire generally allow the insureds to be at the scene and tell their story
once to everyone there so they may not have to go through dozens of
interviews. Remember however, even though we may conduct an interview
with you relative to the fire, you can still plan on additional
conversations and interviews with your insurance representatives.
But yes, you are more than welcome to come to the scene, but
it is not necessary.. If you do
not want to attend the scene investigation you do not have to, we can
certainly accommodate whatever you feel comfortable with. Remember
however, the fire scene has inherent dangers and for your own safety, we
may not be able to allow you access to certain areas of the structure..
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Can I get a copy of the report when you are finished with the investigation?
The reports we produce, if one is requested by your insurance company, may be anywhere from
a month to a couple years after the fire scene has been released,
depending on the circumstances. If and when those reports become
available, you should make the request through your insurance company
and your insurance company will respond to your request. IRIS Fire’s work
product is property of the insurance company who hired us and requests
for our reports should be directed to your carrier..
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Why does it take so long to get a report?
There are various reasons. An expert report may not be immediately
requested and sometimes clients may not want a report, so
one is never generated. But when and if they do ask, it could be a
considerable length of time. It all depends on the circumstances of the fire and of
the investigation, and the direction given to us as part of the
assignment..
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What about the items you are taking from my house?
When IRIS Fire does an investigation, we routinely have to remove articles associated with the cause or origin of the fire. Typically they present with some fire damage, and may be part of what may have caused the fire or what we have to rule out as a cause for the fire. It is important to IRIS Fire to not only be able to determine what caused the fire but also to be equally confident on what did not cause the fire. So we may take the toaster that caused the fire, but we may also take the equally damaged blender and microwave that sat next to it, just so we are able to prove what started and what could not have started the fire..
We will take pieces of evidence that will help prove or disprove the hypotheses developed during the investigation. If you want the items that were removed from your property returned, we can certainly return them. All we need from you is your request in writing, within 30 days, that indicates your desire to have the items returned to you.. If IRIS Fire does not have that in writing within the appropriate timeframe, we will follow the direction of your insurance company and continue to store the items, or dispose of it as necessary. Typically everything we take is not repairable and may be replaced as part of the fire damaged contents. But if for some reason you would like it back, we need to know in writing within 30 days, you can send the letter to the address provided on this website..Back To Top
Will I get a bill for your investigation?
No. The insurance company hires the experts needed for your case. IRIS
Fire’s experts are used to determine the origin and cause of a fire or
explosion. The
services IRIS Fire is providing to the insurance company is paid for by
the insurance company. You will not be billed for any of IRIS Fire’s
investigation..
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Do I have a choice whether or not I need your services for my case?
That decision is reserved for your insurance company. The insurance
company hires experts to explore your case as part of their service to
you.. We are hired by the
insurance company to determine the origin and the cause of the fire..
Even if it has been
well-established as to what caused the fire, it may not have been sufficiently
investigated to
understand how it started and how might it be prevented in the future.
Though it important to know what started the fire, it is equally
important to understand the circumstances which led to the fire. It
could be a mechanical or electrical issue, maintenance, or installation
issue, or a host of other explanations. Whatever the circumstances, our goal is to explore all these
circumstances for your protection and the prevention of future fires..
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What exactly do the investigators at IRIS Fire do?
We determine where the fire started. We determine how the fire started.
And we determine, if possible and so directed, who or what may be responsible for the fire..
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Can you provide me with some answers on the type of coverage I have with my insurance policy?
IRIS
Fire is not an employee of your insurance company. We are private,
independent fire and explosion investigators, hired by your insurance
company to conduct what is routinely called an origin and cause
investigation. We have no knowledge about your policy and we have no
information to provide you regarding your policy. That information is
best addressed by your adjuster or agent..
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How do you protect undamaged portions of my home during the investigation?
Typically, we may not even have to access the undamaged portions of the home unless we are comparing similar items. For instance, if one home office had an appliance that we think may be responsible for the fire, we may have to go into another room in an undamaged portion of the home that has a similar appliance.. We may have to go in there and photograph it, and maybe even take the undamaged appliance and collect it for what is commonly referred to as an exemplar, or example, of what burned..
If we
are working in an area of the house that we have to bring debris through
or take evidence from, we work very closely with the restoration crews
hired by your insurance company who are there to remediate the damage
and start to clean and repair some of your contents. We work very
closely with them to make sure, and if need be, they assist us in
protecting certain areas, or secure certain areas to keep people from gaining
access to it. Generally speaking, if there is a room in the house that
we do not have to access or was not directly damaged by the fire or
smoke, our only reason for us to access those areas of the home will be
for no other reason than documenting the scene..
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Can I starts cleaing up the mess and debris in my home?
We would prefer, initially, that no debris be removed from the house or
property without first consulting IRIS Fire. If the debris is in or near
the area of origin, it is in everyone’s best interest that it not be
moved. If there are family heirlooms or personal effects that are in
other areas of the home that have suffered smoke damage, and need to be
taken out so they can start the restoration process and prevent
additional damage, we would like to
coordinate that with the restoration company or whoever you have chosen
to remove and start cleaning your items. Also, most fires involving a product or an act of omission by
someone require we leave the scene as undisturbed as possible to give
other interested parties an opportunity to investigate the scene as
well. We want all interested parties to be given the same opportunities
as we have to see the scene..
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If you have a question or concern that you feel was not addressed, please contact us via phone or email..
Phone: 303.840.47055
Email:: irisfire.robert@gmail.comm