S.3 Ep.5- Possibility to Probability, Wildland Fire Investigation, & Affirmative Evidence with Fire Investigator Keith Parker

Send us Fan MailRecorded live at the California Conference of Arson Investigators (CCAI), this episode features Fire Investigator and researcher Keith Parker for a wide-ranging (and very real) conversation about what it looks like to apply the scientific method in fire investigation—especially when the ignition source is gone and the pressure to “have an answer” is high. We dig into affirmative evidence vs. negative corpus, why timelines can be some of the strongest support for (or against) a hypothesis, and the danger zone of assumptions sneaking into your data when you’re convinced you already know what happened. Keith shares how his wildland experience evolved from frustration with wiped-out origins to building better training and getting involved in peer-reviewed wildland fire pattern research, including collaboration and mentorship from Dr. Vito Babrauskas. If you’ve ever wondered how confident we can be in wildland indicators under extreme conditions (wind, dry fuels, high intensity), or how wildland O&C is still maturing the way structure investigation did pre-NFPA 921, this one’s for you. Plus: conference updates, what we’re teaching next, how to get involved with IAAI as a student, and the return of “Can you use it in a sentence?” with a practical definition challenge to sharpen your investigator brain.National Wildland Fire Conference — April 24–26, 2026 — Oceanside (North County San Diego), CaliforniaIAAI ITC (International Training Conference) — April 27–May 1, 2026Georgia Fire Investigators Association Spring Conference — March 16–19, 2026 — Marietta (Cobb), GeorgiaAlabama Chapter FREE Spring Training — April 7, 2026 — Decatur, AlabamaMontana IAAI Annual Training Conference — May 12–14, 2026 — Billings, MontanaThank you for listening! If you enjoyed the episode, give us 5 stars, hit the follow button, and subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and anywhere you are listening in from. Follow us on social media!Instagram: @infocusfire_podcastLinkedIn: INFOCUS podcastFacebook: INFOCUS podcastTikTok: @infocus_podcast