Fire Safety Science Digital Archive

The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), Department of the Treasury, is responsible for enforcement of the federal laws on arson, an insidious crime that claims the lives of hundreds of Americans annually and costs billions of dollars. Fire research is crucial to the understanding of fire ignition, growth and spread in real-world situations, and the recognition of post-fire indicators of these phenomena. This information is critical for accurate fire scene analysis and reconstruction that are necessary for effective criminal prosecutions