In the aftermath of a building fire, investigators study the scene for clues to the fire’s cause. They look for burn patterns and suspicious materials while chemists search charred debris for traces of flammable liquids. But investigating fires is not as straightforward as it once was, because investigators now know more about the complexity of how fires burn. In this episode of Stereo Chemistry, host Kerri Jansen explores how scientists are working to better pinpoint specific chemicals amid the chaos a fire leaves behind and how a new understanding of the chemistry and physics of fire has revolutionized the way fire scenes are interpreted.

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A script of this episode is available on our website. 

“Blonde” by Nctrnm is licensed under CC BY 4.0. 

“Plain Loafer” by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under CC BY 3.0. 

Image credit: UL FSRI