Forensic Analysis Of A Chicken Coop Fire

Abstract

On November 30, 1989, The Office Received A Telephone Call Requesting Assistance By A Fire Investigator To Investigate The Cause Of A Fire In A Chicken Coop On An Egg Farm In Eastern Connecticut. The Fire Involved Coops That Were 50 Feet Wide, With One Being 300 Feet Long And The Other 500 Feet Long. At The First Meeting The Author And The Fire Investigator Were Given The Particulars Of The Loss. A Fire Had Occurred At An Egg Farm In Eastern Connecticut. The Farm Had Two Coops, Coop #1 And Coop #2. An Electrical Contractor Had Installed The Electrical System In The Second Coop On The Site During Its Construction In 198 1. Although The 1975 National Electrical Code Specifically Addressed Agricultural Buildings, This Code Was Not In Effect Because Connecticut Does Not Recognize Or Enforce A Code Until It Is Voted On By The State Legislature. Therefore, The Second Coop Was Constructed With An Electrical System Which Complied With The 1972 Code Which Did Not Specifically Address Agricultural Buildings. The Second Coop Had Been Covered With A Tar-Impregnated, Compressed Paper Product In Place Of The Customary Corrugated Sheet Metal. Although Plans And Manufacturers Information Called For A Plywood Sheathing Beneath The Compressed Paper Product, Photographs Of The Construction Showed The Siding Being Installed Directly Over The Coops Studs And Rafters.