Posted on 01/20/2023 1:04:49 PM PST by Jim Noble
This is a question for FReepers with expertise in the fire service.
A grocery store in my small town burned to the ground Tuesday night. The fire was called in about 9:15 PM, after the store closed.
Local FD entered the building on arrival but were pulled out quickly, the flames were 40 feet high, the place collapsed within an hour and is a big pile of rubble. Ten area departments assisted with containment, abutters were evacuated but no other structures were damaged. It was announced that the NH State Fire Marshal would investigate (I assume that's routine).
Today, there's a chain link fence around the rubble with a sign that reads: ""NOTICE: This fire is currently under investigation and critical evidentiary items are present. Do not move, alter, destroy or remove anything from the area described below. Do not enter."
The sign is posted by a private investigations firm.
My question is: Is a private company being called in this early normal, or does it suggest that (at least someone) believes the fire is suspicious?
Insurance investigators...................
Insurance investigators.
Heavy volume of fire on arrival can make it suspicious. How did it get so big so fast is what they are questioning I would guess.
During the summer that interned with a nearby fire department, we looked at ANY fire of unknown origin as ‘suspicious’, until evidence showed that it wasn’t.
The fence most likely was put up by a fencing rental company.
Who paid for that is curious. My guess would be the insurance company.
Typically the state fire marshal’s office would investigate.
That’s the case in WV and PA.
I don’t know about NH.
Fence/ Who paid for that is curious. My guess would be the insurance company
In order to rule out arson, the Fire Marshal will investigate. In order to rule out arson and insurance fraud, the inspector /adjuster working for the insurance company will investigate.
Sad for the owners by any measure.
Instant millionaire
Yours truly Johnny Dollar.
Not worth Banacek’s time.
Insurance investigators look for subrogation on all fires, but especially high dollar loss fires. What you describe is very normal - they fence/secure it (for liability AND the investigation) and post it so they can come in later and look for products or installations within the previous 10 years that may have caused the fire.
The last thing you want are methheads running around stealing things or scrapping metal in the scene as that might remove evidence related to fire causation.
If the insurance investigators (private) can identify a product or recent work in the area of origin they will put that company or the installation company on notice and plan a joint exam where all noticed parties can participate with their own investigators.
They sometimes bring in private engineers, subrogation attorneys, and other specialists and then it all goes to the lawyers. If they can prove or develop a subrogation case close to the 51% standard than the insurance for the noticed company with the product/install may split part of the payout amount with the property insurer.
Its common practice on most large fires.
Thanks
In Da Bronx,
in the bad old days,
it was called “Jewish Lightning”.
Before you get your bloomeres in a twist, that’s not a slur, it’s just a local common turn of phrase.
If ya don’t like it? Fugeta Boutcha!
Ill bet that the Investigators are going to find some kind of accelerant inside the store that was intentionally placed there.
A building just doesn’t burn like that unless it’s made of wood framing.Even then would frame fires take a while to really get going.
Unless they planned to sell it to the insurance company.
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