Where Do We Go from Here?

This chapter discusses the progress and future of fire investigation, drawing from experience with the cases discussed in this book and others, highlighting both improvements and ongoing challenges. Key points include: The incremental improvements since the mid-1980s, including the development of NFPA 921 and increased research on fire patterns. The impact of the 2009 National Academy of Sciences report, Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States: A Path Forward , which led to more funding for fire investigation research. The creation of the Organization of Scientific Area Committees (OSAC) and its Subcommittee on Fire and Explosion Investigations, which has contributed to more rigorous standards and new guidelines. Recommendations for improvement, including: Team-based investigations Mitigating bias Enhanced report writing Certification and accreditation Texas’ implementation of 17 recommendations to improve fire investigation practices following the Willingham fiasco. The importance of bifurcation in trials to separate the scientific analysis from the determination of guilt. The need for pretrial depositions in criminal cases. Increased funding for defense experts in arson cases. The establishment of Conviction Integrity Units to review potential wrongful convictions and no-fault compensation mechanisms for the wrongfully convicted. The development of legal precedents allowing the reopening of older cases when new scientific discoveries create substantial doubt about the accuracy of past verdicts, even if these were based on what was thought at the time to be valid forensics. Efforts to increase education, training and knowledge requirements for fire investigators. The chapter concludes that while progress is being made, improvements often occur on a case-by-case basis, and some individuals may still face injustices, including wrongful convictions and unjust imprisonment or even the risk of capital punishment.