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CFEI Study Guide Latest Updated 2025
Exam Questions And Answers.
Evidence - Demonstrative
Tangible items; see, touch, smell, hear.
Evidence - Documentary
Written form; business records, banking, calendars, phone records, fire reports, etc...
Evidence - Testimonial
Competent live witness speaking under oath; two types; fact and expert
Evidence - illustrative
Photos, sketches, maps, diagrams. Modes are frequently used at trial.
Evidence - illustravtive
Photos and Videos; what, why, how, when
Evidence collection
Document in place, document the collection, use proper container, (flag, bag, & tag)
Evidence - collection
Fuel gas powered tools outside the perimeter. Find out where tools were refuels.
Heat transfer
Conduction, convection, radiation
Interviews
Purpose of the interview; prepare for the interview, document the interview
Vehicle Fires
Sparks from an aluminum wheel are not a competent ignition source.
Vehicle Fires
The most common source of an open flame in a vehicle is an exhaust system backfire out of a carburetor.
Vehicle Fires
Carburetor backfire leaves a distinct pattern on the hood.
Explosions
High order damage: shattering of the structure, producing small debris pieces.
Explosions
Post blast effects: burned debris away-fire preceded, unburned the debris away-no fire.
Explosions
Dust explosions: most often occur in confined areas of relatively wide dispersal.
Explosions
Search 1.5 times further than the farthest piece of debris.
Fire effects/ fire patterns
Char shrinks as it forms. More reliable for evaluating fire spread, deduce the direction based on depth, large shiny blisters (alligatoring) is not evidence of the use of an accelerant.
Fire effects/fire patterns
Spalling: loss of surface material due to cracking, breaking, chipping, breakdown in surface tensile strength, moisture present in the concrete, may appear lighter in color.
Fire effects/fire patterns
Crazed glass: caused by rapid cooling.
Fire effects/fire patterns
Light bulbs 25W or more "pull" (gases expand and bubble out); 25W or less contain a vacuum and can pull in.
Fire effects/fire patterns
Annealing (softening) of springs may provide clues concerning direction, duration, and intensity.
Fire effects/fire patterns
Saddle burns - A U-shaped burn pattern found on the top of floor joists, caused by fire burning down through the floor. Often, a saddle burn is caused by a burning liquid on the floor or radiant heat from a material close to the floor. Saddle burns display deep charring.
Fire effects/fire patterns
Inverted cone burns are indicative of the vertical flame plume not reaching the ceiling, short-lived fires with a low HRR
Fire effects/fire patterns
Sleeving: the softening and sagging of thermoplastic conductor insulation due to the heating of the conductor.
Electrical
Lightning: a form of static electricity, a polarized electrostatic charge in the clouds.
Electrical
9.2.2.2.2: the unit of measurement of potential difference or voltage is usually volts.
Electrical
9.2.2.3: the rate of charge flow is called electrical current, and current is measured in amperes.
Electrical
9.2.6.1: power - the rate at which energy is used.
Electrical
9.3.3: the cables of a service drop go into a weather-head, which is designed to keep water from entering the system, and then down a service raceway to a meter base.
Electrical
9.6.2.1: fuses are basically non-mechanical devices with a fusible element in a small enclosure.
Electrical
9.6.3.1: a circuit breaker is a switch that opens either automatically with over-current or manually by pushing a handle.
Electrical
9.7: Branch Circuits: the individual circuits that feed lighting, receptacles, and various appliances are the branch circuits.
Electrical
9.9.4.1: Arc: is a high temperature luminous electric discharge across a gap or through a medium such as charred insulation.
Electrical
9.10.3: Arcing through a carbonized path due to thermal means (arcing through char), insulation on conductors, when exposed to direct flame or radiant heat, may be charred before being melted. That char is conductive enough to allow sporadic arcing through the char.
Fatalities
Charred bones are an indication of fire intensity and duration
Miscellaneous
Main breaker is the safest way to de-energize a house
Miscellaneous
Fill the evidence can only 2/3 full
Miscellaneous
Annealed (softening) springs can indicate duration and intensity
Miscellaneous
An autopsy should always be performed
Miscellaneous
Witnesses can only testify to facts observed
Miscellaneous
Identify interview question types according to the priority that they should be asked
Miscellaneous
Vapor density of <.6 will rise to the ceiling and accumulate
Miscellaneous
Oxidation is the basic chemical reaction associated with combustion
Miscellaneous
Add more oxygen and expect color change and change of texture
Thermal Inertia
Thermal conductivity(k), density(p), heat capacity (c)
Latent heat of vaporization
The heat absorbed when a substance changes phase from a liquid to a gas. No change in chemical structure of the material
Flameover
Unburned fuel from the originating fire accumulates in the ceiling layer to sufficient concentration that it ignites
Flashover
Calcination
A fire effect realized in gypsum products, including wallboard, as a result of exposure to heat that drives off free and chemically bound water
Fire
A rapid oxidation process, which is a chemical reaction resulting in the evolution of light and heat in varying intensities
Fire Plume
Creation of hot gases by fire; the hot gases rise above the fire itself
Flame Spread
Classified as concurrent or counterflow: concurrent-(wide-aided flame spread) occurs when flame spread direction is the same as the gas flow or wind direction; counterflow-(opposed flame spread) occurs where the flame spread direction is counter to or opposed to the gas flow
Heat
a form of energy characterized by vibration of molecules and capable of initiating and supporting chemical changes and changes of state
Ignition Temperature
Minimum temperature a substance should attain in order to ignite under specific test conditions
Lower Explosive Limit (LEL)
The minimum percentage of fuel in air (by volume) in which combustion can occur
Upper Explosive Limit
The maximum percentage of fuel in air in which combustion can occur
Melting Point
Phase change; the material changes from a solid to a liquid with no change in the chemical structure of the material (melting candle wax)
Pyrolysis
A process in which material is decomposed, or broken down, into simpler molecular compounds by the effects of heat alone; pyrolysis often precedes combustion
Specific Gravity (Vapor Density)
The ratio of the average molecular weight of a gas or vapor to the average molecular weight of air
Specific Gravity
- Witness Information
- Fire Patterns
- Arc Mapping
- Fire Dynamics
Ceiling Jet
Obstruction to plume at ceiling level creates ceiling jets.
Thermal Inertia
The degree of slowness with which the temperature of a body approaches that of its surroundings and which is dependent upon its absorptivity, its specific heat, its thermal conductivity, its dimensions, and other factors
High Order Explosion
A high order explosion describes an explosive event where the blast pressure front moves rapidly, shattering objects in its path. High order damage: shattering of the structure, producing small debris pieces.
High Explosive
A high explosive is a material that has an explosion velocity of greater than 1000 m/s, or a material capable of sustaining a detonation
Low Order Explosion
A low order explosion describes an explosive event where the blast pressure front moves slowly, displacing or heaving (rather than shattering) objects in its path. Low order damage: characterized by walls bulge out or laid down, virtually intact, next to the structure. roofs slightly left.
Low Explosive
A low explosive is a material that has an explosion velocity of less than 1000 m/s.
True - Administrative Warrant
Probably cause IS NOT NEEDED to obtain an ADMINISTRATIVE search warrant.
Conduction
Heat transfer to another body or within a body by DIRECT contact.
Pre-Flashover conditions
In pre-flashover conditions, the primary heat transfer mechanism for fire spread through a compartment is conduction.
Conduction Heat Transfer
Conduction is the form of heat transfer that takes place within solids when one portion of an object is heated. Energy is transferred from the heated area to the unheated area at a rate dependent on the difference in temperature and the physical properties of the material.
Data that is based on observation or experience and can be verified.
Inductive Reasoning
The process by which a person
starts from a particular experience and proceeds to generalizations. The process by which hypotheses are developed based upon observable or known facts and the training, experience,
knowledge, and expertise of the observer.
Deductive Reasoning
Test the Hypothesis with deductive reasoning. The process by which conclusions
are drawn by logical inference from given premises. Testing of the hypothesis is done by the principle of deductive reasoning, in which the investigator compares the hypothesis to all the known facts as well as the body
of scientific knowledge associated with the phenomena relevant
to the specific incident.
Fault Tree
Fault trees can be used to test the possibility of a hypothesized fire cause. Fault trees are developed by
breaking down an event into causal component parts. These
components are then placed in a logical sequence of events or
conditions necessary to produce the event. If the conditions or
sequence are not present then the hypothesis is disproved.
Time Lines
In the context of testing a cause hypothesis, the time frame may be a discriminator for determining if an ignition scenario is consistent with the available data as it related to time frames.
"V" Pattern
The geometric shape of the pattern.
Arson
The crime of maliciously and intentionally, or recklessly, starting a fire or causing an explosion.
Arc
A high-temperature luminous electric discharge
across a gap or through a medium such as charred insulation.
Cause
The circumstances, conditions, or agencies that brought about or resulted in the fire or explosion incident, damage to property resulting from the fire or explosion incident, or bodily injury or loss of life resulting from the fire or explosion incident.
Combustion
A chemical process of oxidation that occurs at a rate fast enough to produce heat and usually light in the form of either a glow or flame.
