FIRE DEPARTMENT
FIRE ARSON & INVESTIGATIONS
The Fire Marshal shall investigate the origin, cause and circumstances of every fire occurring within the city by which property has been damaged or destroyed, and shall especially make investigation as to whether such fire was the result of carelessness/accidental or design/intentional.
Determination of the origin of a fire involves the coordination of information derived from the following:
- Physical marks/fire patterns left by the fire
- Observations reported by witnesses
- The analysis of the physics and chemistry of fire initiation, development and growth as an instrument to related known or hypothesized fire conditions capable of producing those conditions
Determination of the cause of a fire involves consideration of the circumstances, conditions or agencies that bring together a fuel, ignition source and oxidizer.
The 2004 Edition of the Texas Penal Code Section 28.02 defines the crime of arson as:
- A person commits an offense if the person starts a fire, regardless of whether the fire continues after ignition, or causes an explosion with intent to destroy or damage:
- any vegetation, fence, or structure on open-space land; or
- any building, habitation, or vehicle - An offense under this section can range form a felony of the second or first degree, depending on specific circumstances listed within Section 28.02 of the Texas Penal Code.
