Published: 01.05.25
For the first time, DBI has held a course in practical fire cause investigation with the participation of foreign experts. At DBI’s testing facilities at the Fire School – RESC, they were challenged with realistic fire scenarios to sharpen their investigation methods and strengthen collaboration across professions and national borders.
Normally, ‘playground’ and ‘fire scene’ are not two words you want to hear in the same sentence. Nevertheless, DBI (The Danish Institute of Fire and Security Technology) welcomed international ‘playmates’ this spring while hosting its first practical fire cause investigation course with participants from Sweden, Norway, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Turkey, and Mexico.
“We have a fantastic playground at the Fire School in Korsør, where we are authorized to burn materials and simulate realistic scenarios. This allows us to train both our own and others’ competencies,” explains Friedrich Grone, a fire investigator at DBI.
The participants were presented with five burned containers, each set up to mimic different environments – including a restaurant, a workshop, and a bedroom. Their task was to determine the origin and cause of the fires based on the traces they could find on site.
“It was interesting to see how methodologies vary. In some countries, investigators collect as much data as possible before inspecting the fire scene, while in others, they believe that too much information can create bias. That was a very good discussion to have,” says Jesper Rasmussen, also a fire investigator at DBI.
The training was not just traditional course days but an interactive exercise where participants had to collaborate across professions and nationalities.
“What makes our approach special is that we mix people from different backgrounds: police, private fire investigators, and forensic universities. This creates synergy effects, where people realize how much they can learn from each other,” says Friedrich Grone.
The simulated fires had different causes – electrical faults, arson, or accidents. The goal was to investigate the fire scenes using a structured method and challenge the participants to correctly interpret fire patterns.
“We simulated scenarios resembling what fire investigators may encounter in real life – for example, a fire that at first glance looks like an electrical fault, but upon closer examination turns out to be arson. This challenges participants to think critically and consider multiple possible causes before drawing conclusions,” explains Jesper Rasmussen.
For DBI, the event was an opportunity to strengthen cooperation with fire investigators from other countries.
“We now have an even stronger network of international colleagues, which allows us to further develop our own methods and gives us a resource to draw on in the future. And when foreign professionals participate in our training, they also become more aware of the range of competencies and services that DBI can offer,” says, Friedrich Grone.
According to him, DBI's facilities at the Fire School can also be used for purposes beyond fire investigation.
“We have seen interest from manufacturers who want to test their products in realistic fire scenarios. A laboratory test can provide one type of insight, but seeing how a product reacts in an actual fire gives another. Our facilities make it possible to create test environments where materials, products, and technical installations can be tested under realistic conditions,” says Friedrich Grone.
DBI’s fire investigation training days were a great success, and next year’s event is already in the planning stages.
“We look forward to developing the concept further and attracting even more international participants in the coming years,” says Friedrich Grone.
