Forensic Engineering Application Of Fire Science Metallurgy

Abstract

On A Hot July Night In Rural Mt. Airy, Md., Three Adults And One Child Were Asleep On The Upper Floor Of Their Early 1900S Farm Home. Shortly After Midnight, There Was A Thunderous Rumble Followed By A Loud Crack, Which Awakened Them All. They Rushed From Their Rooms, Only To Find The Smoke Alarm Blaring And A Fire Downstairs. Everyone Ran Outside, But Then One Man, Who Thought His Wife Was Trapped Indoors, Bolted Back In The House. His Wife Had Already Made It Out; He, However, Did Not. Fourteen Months Later, Conjecturing The Fire Was Caused By A Malfunction Of A Propane-Fueled Stove, The Familys Attorney Filed A $650 Million Lawsuit Against A Propane Company And Its Parent Company, Later Naming Additional Third-Party Defendants. The Author Was Brought In On Behalf Of The Defense To Determine The Fires Cause.