Mems O'S — ro aati Oy Fire Investigation Services Confidential Fire Investigation Report Investigation No.: 247-023-2018 det (B- 66622e Investigation No.: 247-023-2018 Occurrence Date: 09-Jul-2018 Alarm Time: 03:46:00 Street. #: 8 Street: Greening Court Apt. #: city: Hamilton Municipality: Hamilton Province: ON POTTED sarocnzoa —_—_Riehend Denetrolf s20ct2018 Dave Embertin Date Richard Derstroft Dale Fire Investigator Techrical Reviewer Casa 90882 nied on: 12-Ock-2078 17.30 by Wenndy Thompson Page toteFire Investigation Services Confidential Fire Investigation Report Investigation No.: 247-023-2018 Major Occurrence: Explosion] Fire Investigator: Fire FatallZ)Non-Fire Fatal] Serious InjuryC] Large Loss] Fire Safety Issues] Dave Emberlin Fire Investigation Supervisor: William Hay OWNERS. 4 Lloyd Alan Rutherford 2 Carla Rutherford Occurrence Date: 09-Jul-2018 Alarm Time: 03:46:00 Greening Court Street. #: 8 Hamilton Apt. #: Hamilton Postal Code: Attending Fire Department: Hamilton Fire Department Attending Police Department: Hamilton Police Service Fire Cause: Incendiary - Arson - intentional Property Type: _ Detached Dwelling Property Loss: $350,000 FD Incident Number: F 18024680 Content Loss: $100,000 FD Initial Attack: ffensive (Defensive Exposure Loss: $0 FD Date and time On Scene: 09-Jul-2018 03:52:00 Foe aes $450,000] Date of Applic of the Agent: 09-Jul-2018 03:57:00 No Agent Applied: (1 Scene Release Dat 11-Juk2018 Report Approved Date: 04-Sep-2018 Case 30352 Pinte on: 12-01 2018 17°30 by Werndy Thompson Page? of2tvaunar® Fire Investigation Services Confidential Fire Investigation Report Investigation No.: 247-023-2018 Introduction On 9 July 2018 at 03:45 hours the Hamilton Fire Department received a call for a fire at 8 Greening Court, Dundas. Upon arrival they encountered fire venting from the roof at the rear of the house, and Person 1 at the front of a neighbours, badly burned. Person 1 was transported to hospital. Fire fighters located Person 2 inside the house in a bedroom near the front door. Person 2 was removed from the house and pronounced deceased. Person 1 succumbed to their injuries in the aftemoon Due to the initial fatality and serious injury a request was made for the Office of the Fire Marshal and Emergency Management to attend and conduct an investigation into the origin, cause and circumstances of the fire. The house was a detached bungalow built on a concrete foundation at the west end of Greening Court. The main entry was on the east elevation and secondary entries were on the west elevation. ‘The exterior was finished with brick veneer, aluminum soffits and facia with an asphalt roof. The roof was a hip configuration. Electricity and natural ges were supplied via underground distribution systems. The interior main floor of the house was finished with gypsum. The flooring was a combination of vinyl, carpet and hardwood. The fire scene examination commenced under the legislative authority of the Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997. | Photo 1: East Elevation of 8 Greening Ct Caser S088 Piied on: 1205-2016 17°30 by Vienndy Thempaon Pages 0121Fire Investigation Services Confidential Fire Investigation Report Investigation No.: 247-023-2018 Analysis! Validation Exterior Fire Patterns The exterior elevations were void of any fire patterns to support an area of origin. The fire patterns that were observed was the result of flame spread, the convective flow of the hot gas layer and radiant heat with in the gas leyer venting from the interior to the exterior, and drop down burning on the west elevation. Interior Fire Patterns The basement was void of any fire patterns to support an area of origin. The main floor kitchen, living room, bedroom, library, quilting room, bathroom and hallways were void of any fire patterns to support an area of origin. The fire patterns that were abserved was the result of the convective flow of the hot gas layer and radiant heat within the gas layer, and flame spread into the main hallway from the fire that developed in the master bedroom in the southwest comer of the house Covet 50852 rinied on: 12-0ct 2018 17.50 by Wenndy Thompson Page 4 of21< metoae Cy Fire Investigation Services Confidential Fire Investigation Report Investigation No.: 247-023-2018 Master Bedroom The entire ceiling in the bedroom had collapsed and the ceiling joists above had complete loss of material with exception of some charred roof trusses that were in place over the southwest corner of the room. The entire floor with exception of the closet and areas protected under the bed and against the west wall had charring and loss of material. On the north quarter of the room there was loss of hardwood flooring and subfloor, and the floor joists below were charred with loss of material. All baseboards around the room were charred with loss of material. The north wall had loss of gypsum with exception of the west comer behind a dresser. All exposed wall studs were charred with loss of material. There was a clean bur pattern on the bathroom wall on the back side of the charred wall studs. The west wall had loss of gypsum with exception of the south corner beside a dresser. All exposed wall studs were charred with loss of material. The window in the west wall had complete loss of material. (during excavation there was no window glass on the floor below the south side of the, window indicating it was slid open to the north) The south wall had loss of gypsum with exception of the west and east comers behind a drasser and night stand. All exposed wall studs were charred with loss of material. The east wall had loss of gypsum with exception of the south comer beside @ night stand. All exposed wall studs were charred with loss of material. The entry door to the room was a complete loss as was the frame. The closet frame around the opening had loss of material except the bottom 8 inches which stil had intact paint. The gypsum in the upper 2/3 of the closet had collapsed and the exposed wall studs were charred. The baseboards in the closet were unaffected and there was paint on the gypsum that was still in place. The queen size bed had complete loss of all combustibles. All that remained was the metal bed frame which was oxidized, the metal from the box spring which was oxidized and the metal head board that had loss of paint. A:small dresser against the north wall in the west comer had loss of the back, east vertical side, top and drawer fronts. The west vertical side was charred with loss of material at the top. The drawers collapsed onto each other and had unaffected clothing still in each with exception of the top drawer which had charring to the top layer of clothing. The dresser had collapsed to the east. A small dresser against the south wall in the west comer had loss of the back, east vertical side at the top, top, and the top drawer front. The bottom 2 drawers had the fronts in place and they were ‘Case 20382 Pinted on 1200-2018 1780 by Wendy Thompson Page 5012‘Compass des Incense “ama” MeN Fire Investigation Services Confidential Fire Investigation Report Investigation No.: 247-023-2018 charred with loss of material. The west vertical side was charred with loss of material at the top. ‘The drawers had unaffected clothing in each with the exception of the top drawer which had charting to the top layer of clothing, Anight stand against the south wall in the east corner had loss of the back and top and had collapsed. What remained was charred with loss of material. The above pattems were the result of direct flame impingement from the developing fire within the bedroom which eventually transitioned to flashover, and the effects of ventilation from the bedroom door and west window, Area of Origi An analysis of the fire pattern physical evidence identified the area of origin es the master bedroom in the north quarter of the room. The following supports this opinion: 1. Fire patterns to the exterior of the house were the result of the flame plume and convective flow of the hot gas layer and radiant heat within the gas layer spreading from the interior to the exterior. 2. Fire patterns to the remainder of the interior of the house were the result of fire spread from the master bedroom into the hallway, and the convective flow of the hot gas layer and radiant heat with in the gas layer. 3. Fire patterns as described to the ceiling in the master bedroom with collapse of the ceiling and loss of ceiling joists and roofing material above, the result of direct flame impingement from the developing fire within the room. 4. Fire patterns as described above to the west, south and east walls that had collapse of the. gypsum and charred wall studs with loss of material, the result of direct flame impingement from the developing fire in the north quarter of the room 5. Fire patlerns as described above to the north wall that had collapse of the gypsum and charred wall studs with loss of material and clean burn on the exposed bathroom wall behind the charred studs. This was the result of direct flame impingement from the developing fire in the north quarter of the roam. 6. Fire patterns as described above to the floor that had loss of hardwood flooring, wood sub floor and charred fioor joists with loss of material below the floor on the north quarter of the room from the doorway into the room. The remainder of the floor was charred with loss of hardwood fiooring except where protected. This was the result of direct flame impingement from the fire that developed in the north quarter of the room Cash 30582 ‘rinied on: 12 Oct 2018 17.30 by Wenndy Thompson Page 6 0121Cp “ats” co) Fire Investigation Services Confidential Fire Investigation Report Investigation No.: 247-023-2018 Clean Burn on | the Back of | Exposed Bathroom Gypsum | Collapse of Gypsum and 2 Charred Wall J Loss of ‘Studs with Loss = oy of Material Fi 2] 2 “| Plywood Bottom of Bed | West Wall _| Area of Origin he Sa x Yo Photo 4: Loss of Flooring North Quarter of Room Case s0382 Partad on 1208-2078 1780 by Wienndy Thompson Pager O12‘Commissaire des Incenstes ia” ho Fire Investigation Services Confidential Fire Investigation Report Investigation No.: 247-023-2018 Fire Spread The fire spread from the area of fire origin with the available fuel load, a combu: le fuel on the hardwood floor and the foot of the bed. The fire continued to spread vertically and horizontally from the area of origin with the secondary ignition of the other furniture and the enclosing walls. The fire penetrated through the ceiling allowing fire spread into the attic, and enclosing walls after the gypsum collapsed. The fire continued to grow and due to the window in the west wall and the bedroom door to the hallway open it allowed additional oxygen into the room which eventually resulted in the transition to full room involvement. ‘The flames eventually vented out the bedroom door and down the north/south hallway. The accumulation of pyrolysis products (released during combustion) at the ceiling and the continued convective heating of these products from the fire created a stratified hot gas layer. The creation of fire pattems into other rooms in the home was a resull of the convective flow of this hot gas layer and radiant heat energy within the hot gas layer (products of combustion) to those areas. Fire Dynamics/ Ignition First Fuel lanited The first fuel ignited was a combustible fuel on the floor at the north end of the bed. Numerous ‘samples were taken from the room. Sample 4 was taken from the closet, Sample 2 was taken from books on the floor against the west wall near the south comer. Samples 3, 4 & 5 were taken from under the bed. These samples were analyzed at the Centre of Forensic Science. On 16 July 2018 a report was authored stating that exhibits 2, 3, 4 & 5 had Medium Petroleum in the samoles. Sample ‘1 had no volatile ignitable liquid. Cason 30082 Printed on 12062018 17:30 by Wienndy Thompson Page Bo2icoy “net” toy Fire Investigation Services Confidential Fire Investigation Report Investigation No.: 247-023-2018 Photo 6: Exhibits 2-5 Case ass Printed on: 12:00:20 17 30 by Viennay Thompson Page oor2i“patina!” as Fire Investigation Services Commisssre ces Incenclos Confidential Fire Investigation Report Investigation No.: 247-023-2018 Consideration of Ignition Source The detailed scene investigation identified two potential ignition hypotheses for consideration 1. The accidental ignition of combustibles from an accidental electrical failure or malfunction of a wall receptacle in the north wall on the east side of the dresser. 2. The deliberate application of an open flame to a combustible on the floor at the foot of the bed in the north quarter of the room. The floor is a solid that has to have a sufficient amount of heat applied for a period of time to cause ignition and sustained combustion of the solid fuel An additional fuel load namely Medium Petroleum was intentionally introduced which is easily ignitable with open flame. Isolation of Ignition Source 1. With regards to the accidental ignition of combustibles resulting from an electrical failure or malfunction: only one electrical circuit (wall receptacle at east end of the dresser on the north wall) was identified within the area of origin. There were electrical blades located in both plugs but no wiring or appliances were located. The wires in the interior of the box still had some insulation presert, and there was insulation on the branch circuit above the box in the wall cavity. There is no evidence of fire starting within the electrical box. No appliances or cords were located. As such this theory can be discarded. An open flame as produced by a lighter, has the necessary heat energy to ignite the combustible namely Medium Petroleum within the area of origin. This hypothesis will be discussed in the Validation and Testing of Hypothesis section below. N Validation and Testing of Hypothesi Kirk's Fire Investigation Eighth Edition (lcove/Haynes) addresses the heat output and energy produced by matches on page 237. The research provided suggesis average flame temperatures for matches in the range of 700 °C to 900 °C, with a heat output of around 50 ~ 90 W. The heat energy is insufficient to readily ignite the fuel through radiation alone, and therefore the flame must be in cirect contact with the fuel before ignition. Page 239 gives the temperature of lighters being as high as 1749 °C. Kirk’s Fire Investigation Eighth Edition (Icove/Haynes) addresses Medium Petroleum Distillates ‘on page 120. Medium Petroleum Distillate has a flashpoint of 13 °C and an auto ignition temperature of 220 °C. When a Medium Petroleum Distillate is poured onto a porous or non-porous surface it further reduces the flashpoint by the wicking effect. Casek 30952 Printed on 1206-2018 17:90 by Vienndy Thompson Page 10of2"potas ial Fire Investigation Services commioets anes Confidential Fire Investigation Report Investigation No.: 247-023-2018 Final Ignition Sequence Based on the totality of the investigation, the final ignition sequence is the intentional application of an open flame to an intentionally introduced combustible namely Medium Petroleum. Conclusion ‘An analysis of the fire pattern physical evidence and the information collected during the fire investigation at 8 Greening Court, Dundas, identified the area of origin as the floor area in the north quarter of the room at the foot of the bed. Evidence of one valid ignition hypothesis was isolated; the intentional application of an open flame to a combustible As such, this fire will be classified as “Incendiary — Arson - Intentional” Fire Safety Issues Not Applicable Reference Kirk's Fire Investigation 8" Ecition (Ieove/Haynes) — pages 120 & 237 (Cavohi 20852 Printed on: 12:08-2018 17-0 by Wennay Tompson Page Trefzt