Exam 11: Arson, Bombing, and Hate Crimes

The fire setter will often use flammable liquids so the fire will burn vigorously after being ignited. These flammable liquids are called _____.

A fire which is intentionally set as a result of some real or imagined dispute is grouped into which category of fires?

What is the primary objective of an arson investigator in reconstructing the origin and spread of suspicious fire?

_____ are often used to spread fires from a point of ignition and can be considered a secondary incendiary device, carrying the fire from the original place of ignition to other parts of the room or building.

_____ is the obsessional impulse to set fires or a preference for arson as an instrument of damage and there is not a practical reason for the fire, and they receive no material profit from their incendiarism.

In a structure fire, burning occurs upward from its original ignition in an inverted conical shape with the apex of the cone at the place of origin, where the fire was ignited.

There are two common defenses in arson cases: first, a claim that the fire resulted from an accident or natural causes, and second, that if the fire was the result of criminal agency the _____ was not that agent.

Liquid fire accelerants such as kerosene and gasoline can and do survive the fire.

What are coded microparticles that survive detonation of a bombing and aid an investigator in determining when and where the explosives were made called?

This is the examination and search by firefighters for hidden flames or sparks that might rekindle the fire.

Which one of these, soaked in accelerant, may function as a trailer?

Spontaneous combustion from items such as oily rags is often claimed as a cause of the fire, but ideal conditions are needed to generate enough heat and self-ignition is rare.

What is an irrationally motivated arsonist called?

The color of the smoke and flames is important in arson cases because they may indicate this.

Arsonists use mechanical delay devices to afford themselves a few hours in which they can be prepared to respond to the scene of the fire to gauge the effectiveness of the firefighting activities.

The pathological fire setter's motivation is based upon rational motivations.

This is possibly the most important factor in closing a bombing case.

Coded microparticles or _____ are added to explosives during their manufacture. These particles survive detonation and upon laboratory examination can indicate where and when the explosives were made.

The corpus delicti in arson cases requires that the burning be the result of a criminal agency and that there be actual burning, although the fire need not in fact consume.

When fires occur in a series within reasonable geographic limits, organizing a _____ may be a promising investigative lead.