In fire investigation, what term denotes the information gathered and used to determine the cause?

• A. Hypotheses
• B. Facts
• C. Evidence
• D. Records

Answer: (C)

Evidence is the information gathered at the scene and through investigation that is used to determine the fire’s cause. In a fire investigation, this includes physical clues like burn patterns, the location of origin indicators, residues from accelerants if present, and damaged components, as well as witness statements and documentation such as photos and scene notes. All of these pieces are collected, preserved, and analyzed to build a logical conclusion about how the fire started. Facts are the verifiable data within that collection, records are documents that may contain relevant information, and hypotheses are proposed explanations formed after reviewing the evidence. The term that best fits the description of information gathered and used to determine the cause is evidence.