A fire investigation report template that fills itself in

Most investigators start from a blank document or an old report they copy and paste. The template below is the NFPA 921 structure every origin-and-cause report should follow. Car56 turns it into a working form and drafts the narrative for you.

The fire investigation report template

Copy this outline, or let Car56 generate it filled in.

• Administrative information — case number, dates, address, agency, investigator.
• Scope of assignment — what you were asked to determine.
• Methodology — the scientific method per NFPA 921.
• Scene and structure description — the property and conditions on arrival.
• Examination of the scene — exterior and interior observations.
• Fire pattern analysis — burn indicators and patterns.
• Witness and occupant information — statements, attributed.
• Evidence collected — physical evidence and samples.
• Area of origin, cause, and classification — your determinations, or undetermined.
• Opinions and conclusions — your opinions and signature block.
• Photograph log — captioned scene photographs.

What belongs in each section

Use this checklist while you work the scene. Every line maps to a field in the Car56 form.

• Administrative data. Incident number, alarm date and time, address, responding units, weather, your name and certification numbers.
• Scene description. Construction type, occupancy, utilities, security of doors and windows, fire and smoke conditions on arrival, suppression actions.
• Origin observations. Exterior and interior damage, fire patterns, char depth, arc mapping, ventilation openings. Record what you saw, room by room.
• Occupants and witnesses. Names, contact information, and each person's location and activity at discovery of the fire.
• Statements. Who said what, to whom, when, and where. Attribute every statement. Quote key phrases exactly.
• Evidence. Item descriptions, collection locations, container types, seal numbers, chain of custody, lab submissions.
• Photographs. A numbered log with a caption for each frame: subject, direction of view, and what the image shows.
• Investigator determinations. Your area of origin, cause, and classification, with the observations that support each one. Undetermined is a valid finding. You write this section. Car56 formats it.

Why a structured template matters

A report that follows NFPA 921 is easier to review, easier to defend, and harder to pick apart in a deposition. A consistent structure also means nothing gets left out: the methodology statement, the attribution of witness statements, and the clear line between what you observed and what you concluded.

You keep the determinations

Car56 fills the template from your input. It never decides the origin, the cause, or the classification. Under NFPA 1033, those are yours.

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