19 tasks, each one witnessed by the sources that watched the job — and behind every one, a prompt you can use tonight.
You often split time between the field and an office. Morning might be testing a scene or photographing damage with a digital camera; afternoons usually mean writing reports in Microsoft Word, entering incident details in NFIRS, and emailing officers in Microsoft Outlook.
You also visit courts to give testimony, interview witnesses or property owners, and sometimes supervise staff or review their casework. Serious fires can turn a day into several long nights while you process evidence and coordinate with fire departments.
Common systems are NFIRS (National Fire Incident Reporting System) for incident records, Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS) for modeling fire behavior, and local records like FIREHOUSE. Routine office tools include Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and a web browser.
You may also use a code database to check building codes and Xerox government systems for file management. Know secure evidence databases and chain-of-custody forms when you package collected evidence.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) 2025 data, about 13,800 people work in this field. Median pay is $75,920 per year; the lowest tenth earn $46,530 and the top tenth $118,750 per year.
Local pay varies a lot by city, agency, and whether you work for a municipal fire department or a private firm. Use BLS data as a starting point, then check county or state job listings for exact salaries.
Most investigators begin as firefighters, police officers, or with a degree in fire science, criminal justice, or chemistry. Learn fire dynamics (how fires spread), practice scene photography, and get hands-on with NFIRS and FDS software.
Look for certifications from your state or national bodies, take courses in evidence handling and fingerprint dusting, and volunteer or work for a municipal fire department to get supervised on-scene experience.
A firefighter focuses on extinguishing fires and saving people. A fire marshal enforces fire codes and issues permits; they also inspect buildings and run prevention programs. An arson investigator investigates suspicious fires to determine cause and origin.
These roles overlap: arson investigators may enforce codes and support municipal departments, but their job centers on scene examination, testing materials, photographing evidence, and building a legal case.
AI tools can help sort reports, analyze patterns in NFIRS data, or run preliminary image searches, but they cannot replace on-scene judgment. Use AI to flag similar incidents or speed document drafting in Word, not to make legal conclusions.
Risks include biased pattern matches, incorrect scene interpretation, or disclosure of sensitive evidence. Always verify AI outputs against FDS models, lab test results, and physical evidence before using them in reports or court.
Proficiency in scene documentation — clear photographs, measured sketches, and accurate notes — is the most practical skill. That includes using a camera, keeping chain-of-custody when packaging evidence, and writing concise reports in Microsoft Word.
Good documentation keeps evidence admissible, helps you test hypotheses in FDS or labs, and makes your testimony credible in court. Practice photographing burns, labeling evidence, and entering incidents into NFIRS.