NC FIT Fire Investigation Technician Study Guide
COMPREHENSIVE questions answered, 2025
verified graded A+ already passed!
Fire investigators can be Public (fire, police, etc) and private (insurance
found in what two companies)
sectors?
Statements made by certain persons within a
What are privileged
protected relationship (husband/wife, attorney/client,
communications?
doctor/patient)
The medical community The rule of 9s
estimates burn damage by
____________
First degree: reddening of skin; second degree:
What are the degrees of blistering; third degree: full thickness damage to skin;
burns? fourth degree: damage to underlying tissue and
charring of tissue.
A hypothesis must be All facts
supported by _____
What happens when you The fire will be extinguished
remove a component from
the fire/combustion
process?
, Recognize the need; define the problem; collect data;
What are the seven steps
analyze the data; develop a hypothesis; test the
of the scientific method?
hypothesis; select the final hypothesis
What are the three states Solid, liquid, gas/vapor
of matter?
Recognition of physical evidence; collection of
Data collection includes materials; documentation of personal observations;
many things such as results of lab exams; photographs, sketches, notes;
official reports
Conduct that falls within the legal standard
What is negligence? established to protect others against harm;
carelessness; failure to act
Most arson offenses are Imprisonment and fines
felony crimes punishable
by ________
Arson to an occupied First degree arson, punishable by substantial prison
structure is generally time, ranging to a life sentence in some jurisdictions.
considered to be _____
Who should receive a full All victims of a fire or explosion
autopsy to determine
cause of death?
How does carbon Absorbed into the blood through tissue and
monoxide enter the inhalation while breathing
body?
,Once the origin of a fire Cause
has been accurately
identified, the investigator
can work to determine the
___________
What is the primary The storage battery
energy source in a
vehicle?
A plan is most often A protocol
referred to as __________
Often created by a vertical flame plume not reaching
What is an inverted cone
the ceiling level. Will appear two dimensional as a
pattern
triangle shape with its base at the bottom
What is the three step 1)Identify hazards, 2) determine risks of hazards, 3)
process to assess hazards control the hazards
and risks?
What is NFPA 10? Standard for portable fire extinguishers
The current, in amperes, that a conductor can carry
What is ampacity? continuously under the conditions of use without
exceeding its temperature rating
During litigation an Having their methods and findings challenged by
investigator is subject to others
what?
What are the two most Fahrenheit and Celsius (relatives at which water boils
common empirical and freezes)
temperature scales?
What fuels produce large Plastics and hydrocarbons
amounts of dense black
smoke?
Radiation occurs through Heat transfer through electromagnetic waves
what?
, Why should investigators Witnesses typically describe rate of fire growth at the
be cautious of witness time the fire was discovered, not when it initially
statements relating to fire started.
growth?
The transport of heat energy from one point to
What is heat transfer?
another caused by temperature difference
The lowest temperature of a liquid, as determined by
specific lab tests, at which the liquid fives off vapors at
What is flash point?
a sufficient rate to support a momentary flame across
its surface.
Which flame usually Diffusion flame
consumes most fuels?
What is HRR and how is it Heat Release Rate: the rate at which heat is released.
measured? Joules per seconds or watts.
Measure of energy required to raise the temperature
What is heat capacity?
of an object one degree of unit mass.
What does thermal The irreversible change that occurs in either a solid or
decomposition refer to? a liquid
Can melting and Yes because the chemical structure of the material
vaporization be reversible does not change.
upon cooling?
True of False: Most fuels True.
need to liberate fuel gases
or vapors for ignition to
occur.
What are two types of Melting (solid liquid) vaporization (liquids gases)
physical changes or phase
changes?
Heat is transferred in what Conduction, convection and radiation
three ways?
COMPREHENSIVE questions answered, 2025
verified graded A+ already passed!
Fire investigators can be Public (fire, police, etc) and private (insurance
found in what two companies)
sectors?
Statements made by certain persons within a
What are privileged
protected relationship (husband/wife, attorney/client,
communications?
doctor/patient)
The medical community The rule of 9s
estimates burn damage by
____________
First degree: reddening of skin; second degree:
What are the degrees of blistering; third degree: full thickness damage to skin;
burns? fourth degree: damage to underlying tissue and
charring of tissue.
A hypothesis must be All facts
supported by _____
What happens when you The fire will be extinguished
remove a component from
the fire/combustion
process?
, Recognize the need; define the problem; collect data;
What are the seven steps
analyze the data; develop a hypothesis; test the
of the scientific method?
hypothesis; select the final hypothesis
What are the three states Solid, liquid, gas/vapor
of matter?
Recognition of physical evidence; collection of
Data collection includes materials; documentation of personal observations;
many things such as results of lab exams; photographs, sketches, notes;
official reports
Conduct that falls within the legal standard
What is negligence? established to protect others against harm;
carelessness; failure to act
Most arson offenses are Imprisonment and fines
felony crimes punishable
by ________
Arson to an occupied First degree arson, punishable by substantial prison
structure is generally time, ranging to a life sentence in some jurisdictions.
considered to be _____
Who should receive a full All victims of a fire or explosion
autopsy to determine
cause of death?
How does carbon Absorbed into the blood through tissue and
monoxide enter the inhalation while breathing
body?
,Once the origin of a fire Cause
has been accurately
identified, the investigator
can work to determine the
___________
What is the primary The storage battery
energy source in a
vehicle?
A plan is most often A protocol
referred to as __________
Often created by a vertical flame plume not reaching
What is an inverted cone
the ceiling level. Will appear two dimensional as a
pattern
triangle shape with its base at the bottom
What is the three step 1)Identify hazards, 2) determine risks of hazards, 3)
process to assess hazards control the hazards
and risks?
What is NFPA 10? Standard for portable fire extinguishers
The current, in amperes, that a conductor can carry
What is ampacity? continuously under the conditions of use without
exceeding its temperature rating
During litigation an Having their methods and findings challenged by
investigator is subject to others
what?
What are the two most Fahrenheit and Celsius (relatives at which water boils
common empirical and freezes)
temperature scales?
What fuels produce large Plastics and hydrocarbons
amounts of dense black
smoke?
Radiation occurs through Heat transfer through electromagnetic waves
what?
, Why should investigators Witnesses typically describe rate of fire growth at the
be cautious of witness time the fire was discovered, not when it initially
statements relating to fire started.
growth?
The transport of heat energy from one point to
What is heat transfer?
another caused by temperature difference
The lowest temperature of a liquid, as determined by
specific lab tests, at which the liquid fives off vapors at
What is flash point?
a sufficient rate to support a momentary flame across
its surface.
Which flame usually Diffusion flame
consumes most fuels?
What is HRR and how is it Heat Release Rate: the rate at which heat is released.
measured? Joules per seconds or watts.
Measure of energy required to raise the temperature
What is heat capacity?
of an object one degree of unit mass.
What does thermal The irreversible change that occurs in either a solid or
decomposition refer to? a liquid
Can melting and Yes because the chemical structure of the material
vaporization be reversible does not change.
upon cooling?
True of False: Most fuels True.
need to liberate fuel gases
or vapors for ignition to
occur.
What are two types of Melting (solid liquid) vaporization (liquids gases)
physical changes or phase
changes?
Heat is transferred in what Conduction, convection and radiation
three ways?
