Fire investigations

The Queensland Fire and Rescue Service has over 60 fire investigators. They determine the causes of both accidental and deliberately lit fires.

After a fire, investigators examine electrical and gas appliances (and other items)—at the scene, and in the laboratory—to find the cause of the fire.

Information gathered on the cause of fires is used to:

• help prevent future fires
• educate the community on fire danger
• identify and recall dangerous products from the market
• improve fire fighting and building fire safety.

Fire database

A comprehensive database is being developed with information about:

• how and why fires started
• how injuries and deaths occur during fires
• how loss of life and property could have been avoided
• what safety equipment was in place (smoke alarms, fire extinguishers)
• the people involved in the fire (including details such as age, ethnicity, and living arrangements).

The database aims to reduce the number of fire deaths and injuries in Queensland.