Fire Investigation INFOCUS podcast
Welcome to the Fire Investigation INFOCUS podcast, where we dive deep into the fascinating world of origin and cause investigations. Join hosts Scott Kuhlman and Chasity Owens, experienced fire investigators, as they discuss all things fire investigation from the latest techniques, case studies, and challenges faced by professionals in this critical field. Through a community effort, this podcast aims to create a platform for investigators to learn from one another and grow together. Whether you're a seasoned investigator, a first responder, or simply curious about the science behind fire investigations, this bi-weekly podcast will provide valuable insights, expert interviews, and practical tips to enhance your knowledge and skills. Tune in to stay up-to-date on the latest developments in fire investigation and join the conversation.
Episodes
What can fire alarms, sprinkler systems, and suppression equipment reveal about a fire? In this episode, Scott Kuhlman and Chasity Owens explore NFPA 921 (2024), Chapter 8: Active Fire Protection Systems, and how these systems can help investigators reconstruct fire timelines, evaluate fire spread, and test origin and cause hypotheses. They discuss fire alarm event logs, smoke and heat detection, projected beam dete...
What can a fire investigator learn from the remains of a burned smart outlet? In this short episode, Chasity and Scott speak with Eastern Kentucky University students Madison Hall and Elias Phipps at the 2026 IAAI International Training Conference in St. Louis. They discuss their research on identifying Wi-Fi-enabled smart outlets after a fire and distinguishing their components from those of standard AC adapters.
Ma...
In this episode, Scott Kuhlman and Chasity Owens reflect on the 25th remembrance of September 11, 2001. Chasity shares what she remembers as a first grader in Kentucky, while Scott recalls watching the attacks as an off-duty firefighter and the lasting changes they brought to fire-service security, training, and emergency preparedness.
Scott and Chasity also catch up on listener messages from aspiring and working fir...
In this episode, Scott Kuhlman and Chasity Owens continue their NFPA 921 series with a breakdown of Chapter 7: Building Systems. They discuss how building design, construction methods, materials, concealed spaces, passive fire protection, and structural components can influence fire development, spread, and collapse. The conversation covers balloon-frame and platform-frame construction, lightweight wood trusses, fir...
In this episode, Scott Kuhlman and Chasity Owens sit down with Fire Investigator Dennis Zigrang of Fire Cause Analysis of Idaho for a wide-ranging conversation about the realities of fire investigation across different environments, career paths, and investigative challenges.
Dennis shares his journey from a 25-year career with the Long Beach Police Department into fire investigation, private-sector work, and eventua...
In this short episode, Chasity and Scott sit down with Eastern Kentucky University seniors Reuben Jasinski and Kaitlyn Cully at the IAAI International Training Conference to discuss their fire research involving refrigerators using R-600a butane refrigerant. Their study examined whether fire investigators can distinguish between fires originating inside the refrigerator compressor compartment and fires originating e...
In this episode, recorded live at the IAAI International Training Conference in St. Louis, Scott Kuhlman and Chasity Owens sit down with Brazilian fire-safety professionals Colonel Paiva and Rogerio Lin to discuss the transformation of fire investigation in Brazil. Paiva shares how international training, IAAI certifications, NFPA guidance, and his commitment to accurate and thorough investigations helped expand for...
What can burned human remains reveal about a fatal fire—and what evidence may be permanently lost when a body is moved too soon?
Recorded live at the IAAI International Training Conference in St. Louis, Scott Kuhlman and Chasity Owens sit down with forensic anthropologist Dr. Elaine Pope to discuss the investigation and recovery of human remains from fatal fire scenes. Dr. Pope explains how forensic anthropolog...
In this episode, Scott Kuhlman and Chasity Owens sit down with Founder Jesse Sprague, Director of Research & Intelligence Phinehas Lampman, and Software Developer and Data Scientist Kathleen Matos from Axon Intelligence to talk about the future of wildland fire investigation, origin and cause documentation, data science, remote sensing, AI, drone imagery, and fire investigation technology. The conversation...
In this episode, Scott and Chasity catch up on fan mail, training opportunities, report writing, and the importance of verifying information in the age of AI before turning the mic over to their conversation with Fire Investigator and Student Committee Chair Sawyer Garriques at the 2026 IAAI ITC.
Sawyer shares how the IAAI Student Committee is helping bridge the gap between students and the fire investigation profess...
In this episode, Chasity Owens and Scott Kuhlman are LIVE again at IAAI International Training Conference with a live conversation featuring Fire Investigator and IAAI's 2026 Investigator of the Year Adam Holloway of Genesis Forensics and Fire Investigator John Hill of National Fire Experts. Both Adam and John are Eastern Kentucky University graduates who entered the fire investigation industry from the private sect...
LIVE from the IAAI ITC in St. Louis, Scott Kuhlman and Chasity Owens sit down with IAAI Immediate Past President David Bridges and IAAI Current President Devin Palmer for a powerful conversation about leadership, training, mentorship, and the future of the fire investigation profession. David shares how his career evolved from law enforcement and accelerant detection canine work into becoming a technically trained a...
LIVE at the International Association of Arson Investigators ITC 2026, hosts Scott Kuhlman and Chasity Owens sit down with fire investigator Nicole Brewer for one of the podcast’s most insightful conversations yet. Nicole shares her journey from firefighter to fire investigator, her transition from public to private sector investigations, and how advanced education through Eastern Kentucky University and Oklah...
Live from IAAI ITC 2026 in St. Louis, Scott Kuhlman and Chasity Owens sit down with Dr. Greg Gorbett to talk fire investigation, research-based tools, and the future of the profession. The conversation covers the U.S. NRC Fire Dynamics Tools spreadsheets, heat release rate calculations, flashover correlations, and how investigators can use empirical data in defensible origin and cause work. Greg also discusses his r...
In this episode, hosts Scott Kuhlman and Chasity Owens break down real-world court cases where fire investigators were challenged, excluded, or dismantled under legal scrutiny. From Daubert challenges and summary judgment to spoliation of evidence and product liability battles involving companies like Amazon, this episode dives deep into what can make—or break—an expert witness in court. Learn how improp...
In this episode, hosts Scott Kuhlman and Chasity Owens continue their deep dive into NFPA 921 Chapter 6 with Part 2: Fire Patterns.
The episode blends real-world case studies with foundational fire science, reinforcing how fire investigators interpret patterns, validate origin hypotheses, and apply the scientific method in the field.
Listeners are first brought into two compelling case studies: a hybrid vehicle fire w...
In this episode, Scott Kuhlman and Chasity Owens kick off their discussion of NFPA 921 Chapter 6 by breaking down one of the most important foundations in fire investigation: fire effects, and then fire pattens next episode. Using real-world deposition questions and courtroom-style challenges, they show why investigators must be able to clearly explain concepts like fire plume development, truncated cone patterns, U...
Recorded live at the California Conference of Arson Investigators (CCAI), this episode features Fire Investigator and researcher Keith Parker for a wide-ranging (and very real) conversation about what it looks like to apply the scientific method in fire investigation—especially when the ignition source is gone and the pressure to “have an answer” is high. We dig into affirmative evidence vs. n...
In this episode, Scott Kuhlman and Chasity Owens are joined by Fire Investigators Bill Strohm and Oliver Gillespie to explain how their fire investigation unit operates and why their structure leads to strong case outcomes. They break down the roles of shift investigators, who handle origin and cause, evidence collection, and witness interviews at active scenes, and day-shift investigators, who manage follow-ups, wa...
In this episode, Scott Kuhlman and Chasity Owens sit down with returning guest Attorney Lauren Guber for a real-world conversation on how fire investigations hold up when the stakes are high—especially in court. The episode kicks off with a sharp comparison between the U.S. approach to fire investigation standards and the UK’s “Code of Practice” concept, which reads more like “you shall...
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