Investigating a Garage Fire

Homeowner Lisa claims she was asleep when she woke up to smoke alarms blaring. She safely evacuated her home, but the fire destroyed her garage and spread to part of her home. The adjuster requests that Alex determine the fire's cause.   Notable Timestamps [ 00:15 ] - The scenario outlines a garage fire claim and a need to investigate the cause of the fire. [ 01:00 ] - When investigating a fire claim, is it origin and cause or cause and origin? Why? [ 03:00 ] - NFPA 921 provides standards for fire investigators conducting origin and cause investigations. [ 03:50 ] - Ring doorbell cameras or security footage is one source of origin and cause information. Footage may be automatically deleted, or the camera owner may refuse to cooperate. [ 05:55 ] - The team discusses raccoons, dogs, and bike bandits caught by Ring cameras. [ 08:15 ] - Garage fires can be hard to investigate because they often contain a large number of items and are often disorganized. These fires can burn quickly leaving little intact. [ 11:05 ] - Neighborhood watch apps like "Citizen" can establish suspicious activity at the time of the loss. In this scenario, this leads to eyewitness reports about the cause of the fire. [ 13:15 ] - Canvassing the neighborhood can help provide information, and experts can help investigate via forensic methods. [ 14:10 ] - The insurance company determines that Lisa's policy covers the fire damage, but liability may extend to the guests who knocked over the battery charger. [ 14:35 ] - Tonda provides a recap of the scenario and the points above. Your PLRB Resources CE Course: Adjusting 21st Fire and Explosion Claims: Investigative Tools and Techniques - https://www.plrb.org/courses/adjustingfireclaims/ CE Course: Investigating and Resolving Different Types of Wildfire Losses - https://www.plrb.org/courses/investigating-and-resolving-different-types-of-wildfire-losses/ Wildfires Map (includes recent historical wildfires) - https://www.plrb.org/wildfires/ Employees of member companies also have access to a searchable legal database, hundreds of hours of video trainings, building code materials, weather data, and even the ability to have your coverage questions answered by our team of attorneys (https://www.plrb.org/ask-plrb/) at no additional charge to you or your company. Subscribe to this Podcast Your Podcast App - Please subscribe and rate us on your favorite podcast app YouTube - Please like and subscribe at @plrb LinkedIN - Please follow at "Property and Liability Resource Bureau" Send us your Scenario! Please reach out to us at 630-509-8704 with your scenario! This could be your "adjuster story" sharing a situation from your claims experience, or a burning question you would like the team to answer. In any case, please omit any personal information as we will anonymize your story before we share. Just reach out to [email protected].  Legal Information The views and opinions expressed in this resource are those of the individual speaker and not necessarily those of the Property & Liability Resource Bureau (PLRB), its membership, or any organization with which the presenter is employed or affiliated. The information, ideas, and opinions are presented as information only and not as legal advice or offers of representation. Individual policy language and state laws vary, and listeners should rely on guidance from their companies and counsel as appropriate. Music: "Piece of Future" by Keyframe_Audio. Pixabay. Pixabay License. Font: Metropolis by Chris Simpson. SIL OFL 1.1. Icons: FontAwesome (SIL OFL 1.1) and Noun Project (royalty-free licenses purchased via subscription). Sound Effects: Pixabay (Pixabay License) and Freesound.org (CC0).