How heat affects the human body is a complex process with many changes and transformations of soft tissues and bones during the fire. Differentiating how the observed fire effects on the body happened and interpreting the body within the context of the fire scene is critical to understanding the fire event, yet many investigators are not sufficiently trained or experienced to do so accurately. This module provides a foundational introduction to the dynamic fire effects on the human body, including the way the body absorbs energy, the ways thermal energy damages bodies, how heat exposure sequentially damages the human body’s layered tissues and bones, movements of the body during the fire, and variables affecting how the body is damaged during a fatal fire event.

CFITrainer.Net recommends taking this module before the “Fatal Fires: Investigation” module.

NOTE:
To properly align the two new fatal fires modules with the existing module “Investigating Fatal Fires,” we recommend retitling that existing module to “Fatal Fires: Introduction,” as it provides a broad overview anchored by a case study. This would make the modules covering fatal fires as follows:

• Fatal Fires: Introduction
• Fatal Fires: Investigation
• Investigating Fire and Explosion Incidents Involving a Line-Of-Duty Death
• An Analysis of The Station Nightclub Fire
• Charleston Sofa Super Store Fire