Deck 18: Arson and Explosives

Question 1

According to the authors, to minimize the loss of physical evidence at the scene of a fire, every fire should be

A) extinguished only by trained firefighters
B) reported to the fire marshal
C) reported to the local insurance investigator
D) treated as a potential crime scene
E) none of the above

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Firefighters can locate the point of origin of fires in approximately _____ percent of all structural fires.

A) 20
B) 35
C) 50
D) 65
E) 80

Answer 2

C

Question 3

According to the text, information concerning the economic health of an industry in general and the arson target in particular can be provided to investigators by

A) business competitors
B) news media
C) police records
D) business records and files
E) none of the above

Answer 3

A

Question 4

According to the text, during an arson investigation, neighbors or tenants in the same building or one nearby should be questioned because

A) they may have received damage to their property
B) they may be injured and need assistance
C) they may have observed unusual activity immediately before the fire was reported
D) they may want to file a police report
E) all of the above

Question 5

It is recommended that photographs and films taken of bystanders at recent fires should be scrutinized to determine if

A) the fire was extinguished efficiently and quickly
B) any bystanders were injured or mistreated by any public official
C) the surrounding area and bystanders were properly protected from the fire and smoke
D) the same individual appears at several fires, or whether a suspect generated subsequently was a spectator at the fire
E) all of the above

Question 6

Arson crime scenes, as compared to scenes of other crimes, have some unique disadvantages for physical evidence. The text points out that evidence may be destroyed by flames and heat and/or may be

A) improperly collected and preserved by the arson investigator
B) washed away by pressure hoses
C) overlooked by a careless investigator
D) stolen by curious onlookers
E) all of the above

Question 7

The three components required for fire are

A) a fuel, carbon monoxide, and a heat source
B) a fuel, oxygen, and a heat source
C) a fuel, a burnable material, and a heat source
D) a fuel, carbon dioxide, and heat
E) none of the above

Question 8

Two components required for fire coexist all the time with no threat of fire; however, only when the third component, ______________, is present can fire occur.

A) a heat source
B) fuel
C) oxygen
D) carbon dioxide
E) carbon monoxide

Question 9

Chemists describe the reaction of a chemical compound with oxygen as

A) spontaneous combustion
B) combustion
C) erratic combustion
D) organic combustion
E) oxidation

Question 10

_____________________ occurs when certain compounds combine at room temperature with oxygen, thereby releasing considerable heat.

A) Spontaneous combustion
B) Combustion
C) Erratic combustion
D) Organic combustion
E) Oxidation

Question 11

The presence or absence of __________, a by-product of combustion, in the respiratory passages of an alleged victim of a fire can indicate whether the person was alive or dead at the time of the fire.

A) carbon monoxide
B) carbon dioxide
C) blood
D) oxygen
E) soot

Question 12

______________ are the most common cause of fires.

A) Stoves
B) Cigarettes
C) Heating systems
D) Electrical appliances
E) none of the above

Question 13

______________ are used to extend a fire from a plant to other parts of a structure.

A) Accelerants
B) Trailers
C) Sets
D) Phosphorus compounds
E) none of the above

Question 14

The most common accelerant is

A) gasoline
B) turpentine
C) lighter fluid
D) kerosene
E) phosphorus

Question 15

An irresistible impulse or compulsion to start a fire or set something on fire is termed

A) trailing
B) psychotic arsonist
C) sensual gratification
D) pyromania
E) none of the above

Question 16

The elements of the crime of arson differ more from state to state than do the elements of any other crime.

Question 17

According to the authors, in strictly legal terms, a fire is considered to be of accidental origin unless proved otherwise.

Question 18

Past experience demonstrates that the person who discovered the fire normally cannot provide sufficient information to assist in the determination of the point of origin of a fire.

Question 19

Both police investigators and private insurance investigators almost always need a search warrant to investigate an arson site.

Question 20

In residential fires of suspicious origin, the removal of irreplaceable possessions prior to the fire is found to be common.

Question 21

According to the authors, the task of locating and recognizing physical evidence at an arson crime scene is the same as for any other crime scene.

Question 22

Most petroleum products such as oils, greases, kerosene, and gasoline are considered drying oils and thus pose a spontaneous combustion risk.

Question 23

In cases of suspected arson, the initial site of the fire may be determined from the physical evidence and traces remaining after the fire is extinguished.

Question 24

A SEMTEX bomb is a device built with a length of pipe stuffed with explosives and shrapnel, such as nails or BBs, sealed at both ends, and fitted with a detonator.

Question 25

Polyethylene or polystyrene containers are suitable for collecting accelerants because they will neither deteriorate nor become permeable to petroleum products.