CFEI Study Guide UPDATED Exam
Questions and CORRECT Answers
Evidence - Demonstrative - CORRECT ANSWER- Tangible items; see, touch, smell, hear.
Evidence - Documentary - CORRECT ANSWER- Written form; business records, banking,
calendars, phone records, fire reports, etc...
Evidence - Testimonial - CORRECT ANSWER- Competent live witness speaking under
oath; two types; fact and expert
Evidence - illustrative - CORRECT ANSWER- Photos, sketches, maps, diagrams. Modes are
frequently used at trial.
Evidence - illustravtive - CORRECT ANSWER- Photos and Videos; what, why, how, when
Evidence collection - CORRECT ANSWER- Document in place, document the collection,
use proper container, (flag, bag, & tag)
Evidence - collection - CORRECT ANSWER- Fuel gas powered tools outside the perimeter.
Find out where tools were refuels.
Heat transfer - CORRECT ANSWER- Conduction, convection, radiation
Interviews - CORRECT ANSWER- Purpose of the interview; prepare for the interview,
document the interview
Vehicle Fires - CORRECT ANSWER- Sparks from an aluminum wheel are not a competent
ignition source.
Vehicle Fires - CORRECT ANSWER- The most common source of an open flame in a
vehicle is an exhaust system backfire out of a carburetor.
,Vehicle Fires - CORRECT ANSWER- Carburetor backfire leaves a distinct pattern on the
hood.
Vehicle Fires - CORRECT ANSWER- Two basic fuel systems: vacuum/low pressure
carbureted system, and high-pressure, fuel injected system.
Vehicle Fires - CORRECT ANSWER- Loose battery connections; not over-current protected;
loose connections can result in intermittent arcing.
Vehicle Fires - CORRECT ANSWER- Power steering fluid: Flashpoint 347-356*F,
autoignition 680-720*F.
Vehicle Fires - CORRECT ANSWER- Automatic Transmission Fluid: Flashpoint 302-536*F,
autoignition 626-716*F.
Vehicle Fires - CORRECT ANSWER- Overcharging a battery does not cause it to explode.
Explosions - CORRECT ANSWER- Low order damage: characterized by walls bulge out or
laid down, virtually intact, next to the structure. roofs slightly left.
Explosions - CORRECT ANSWER- High order damage: shattering of the structure,
producing small debris pieces.
Explosions - CORRECT ANSWER- Post blast effects: burned debris away-fire preceded,
unburned the debris away-no fire.
Explosions - CORRECT ANSWER- Dust explosions: most often occur in confined areas of
relatively wide dispersal.
Explosions - CORRECT ANSWER- Search 1.5 times further than the farthest piece of debris.
, Fire effects/ fire patterns - CORRECT ANSWER- Char shrinks as it forms. More reliable for
evaluating fire spread, deduce the direction based on depth, large shiny blisters (alligatoring)
is not evidence of the use of an accelerant.
Fire effects/fire patterns - CORRECT ANSWER- Spalling: loss of surface material due to
cracking, breaking, chipping, breakdown in surface tensile strength, moisture present in the
concrete, may appear lighter in color.
Fire effects/fire patterns - CORRECT ANSWER- Crazed glass: caused by rapid cooling.
Fire effects/fire patterns - CORRECT ANSWER- Light bulbs 25W or more "pull" (gases
expand and bubble out); 25W or less contain a vacuum and can pull in.
Fire effects/fire patterns - CORRECT ANSWER- Annealing (softening) of springs may
provide clues concerning direction, duration, and intensity.
Fire effects/fire patterns - CORRECT ANSWER- Saddle burns - A U-shaped burn pattern
found on the top of floor joists, caused by fire burning down through the floor. Often, a
saddle burn is caused by a burning liquid on the floor or radiant heat from a material close to
the floor. Saddle burns display deep charring.
Fire effects/fire patterns - CORRECT ANSWER- Inverted cone burns are indicative of the
vertical flame plume not reaching the ceiling, short-lived fires with a low HRR
Fire effects/fire patterns - CORRECT ANSWER- Melting Temperatures: Copper 1981*F;
Aluminum 1220*F; Steel 2760*F
Heat Sources - CORRECT ANSWER- Mechanical: converted to heat when two materials rub
against each other and create friction.
Chemical: chemical reaction; exothermic and endothermic.
Electrical: Converted to heat energy; flowing through a conductor.
Nuclear: splitting the nucleus of an atom into two smaller nuclei (nuclear fission)
