Deck 11: Arson, Bombing, and Hate Crimes

Question 1

A fire which is intentionally set as a result of some real or imagined dispute is grouped into which category of fires?

A) profit motivated
B) hate motivated
C) obsessional motivated
D) irresistible impulse motivated

Answer 1

B

Question 2

The color of the smoke and flames is important in arson cases because they may indicate this.

A) use of accelerants
B) inverted conical shape of a fire
C) use of mechanical fire-setting devices
D) use of "trailers"

Answer 2

A

Question 3

This is the examination and search by firefighters for hidden flames or sparks that might rekindle the fire.

A) tagging
B) overhauling
C) spark-hunting
D) rooting

Answer 3

B

Question 4

In a structure fire, burning occurs upward from its original ignition in an inverted conical shape with the apex of the cone at the place of origin, where the fire was ignited.

Question 5

Liquid fire accelerants such as kerosene and gasoline can and do survive the fire.

Question 6

What is an irrationally motivated arsonist called?

A) an incendiary
B) the criminal agency
C) a pyromaniac
D) a fire-setter

Question 7

What is the primary objective of an arson investigator in reconstructing the origin and spread of suspicious fire?

A) to establish the limits of the fire scene
B) to develop a theory of the fire
C) to develop suspects with opportunity
D) to establish who will benefit from the fire

Question 8

This is least likely to be a common motivator for a hate fire.

A) spite
B) anger
C) some irrational motivation
D) antagonism

Question 9

The corpus delicti in arson cases requires that the burning be the result of a criminal agency and that there be actual burning, although the fire need not in fact consume.

Question 10

Arson becomes aggravated in most jurisdictions when people are present or placed in danger and explosives are used.

Question 11

Which one of these, soaked in accelerant, may function as a trailer?

A) a rope
B) newspaper
C) rags
D) All of these.

Question 12

In outdoor fires where structures are not involved, fire patterns are determined by the wind and terrain.

Question 13

A fire may be classified as suspicious when its pattern suggests more than one place of origin.

Question 14

Mechanical fire-setting devices are used by an arsonist for this reason.

A) They accelerate the rate of burn.
B) They are capable of starting numerous fires simultaneously.
C) They provide a delay in ignition and an opportunity to establish an alibi.
D) They retard the fire-fighting response.

Question 15

Arsonists use mechanical delay devices to afford themselves a few hours in which they can be prepared to respond to the scene of the fire to gauge the effectiveness of the firefighting activities.

Question 16

Spontaneous combustion from items such as oily rags is often claimed as a cause of the fire, but ideal conditions are needed to generate enough heat and self-ignition is rare.

Question 17

Irrationally motivated arson fires are based on either hate, profit, or the desire to conceal a crime.

Question 18

The pathological fire setter's motivation is based upon rational motivations.

Question 19

What are coded microparticles that survive detonation of a bombing and aid an investigator in determining when and where the explosives were made called?

A) trailers
B) accelerants
C) coded cones
D) taggants

Question 20

This is possibly the most important factor in closing a bombing case.

A) taggants
B) police intelligence reports
C) pattern of explosion
D) fire spread

Question 21

When fires occur in a series within reasonable geographic limits, organizing a _____ may be a promising investigative lead.

Question 22

_____ is the obsessional impulse to set fires or a preference for arson as an instrument of damage and there is not a practical reason for the fire, and they receive no material profit from their incendiarism.

Question 23

Coded microparticles or _____ are added to explosives during their manufacture. These particles survive detonation and upon laboratory examination can indicate where and when the explosives were made.

Question 24

_____ are often used to spread fires from a point of ignition and can be considered a secondary incendiary device, carrying the fire from the original place of ignition to other parts of the room or building.

Question 25

_____ is the examination and search by firefighters for hidden flames or sparks that might rekindle the fire.

Question 26

Evidence of separate and distinct fires in different areas, the odor of petroleum, holes in walls to aid in the spread of the fire are indicators that the fire was of _____ origin.

Question 27

_____ is a rapid development of the fire in which all the previously uninvolved combustibles in a room suddenly ignite sending flames across the ceiling of the room.

Question 28

In-progress photographs identify the location of a fire, reveal its spread and intensity, and detail the mixture of smoke and flames. In addition, such photographs sometimes
reveal the presence of a _____ at the fire scene.

Question 29

There are two common defenses in arson cases: first, a claim that the fire resulted from an accident or natural causes, and second, that if the fire was the result of criminal agency the _____ was not that agent.

Question 30

The fire setter will often use flammable liquids so the fire will burn vigorously after being ignited. These flammable liquids are called _____.