Which pattern of char on a wall suggests that the fire began under it at the floor level?

Which pattern of char on a wall suggests that the fire began under it at the floor level?

• A. L pattern
• B. X pattern
• C. W pattern
• D. V pattern

Answer: (D)

Fire pattern analysis on walls relies on how heat and flames char the surface to indicate where a fire started. A V-shaped burn pattern on a wall, with the apex near the floor, shows the flames and hot gases began at floor level and then surged upward along the wall. As the fire grows, heat concentrates at that lower point and climbs, creating two charred arms that rise from the bottom toward the ceiling. The apex marks the origin location on the floor, so this V shape is the clearest sign that the fire started under the wall at floor level. Other patterns reflect different flame paths or ventilation influences: an L shape suggests burning along two walls in a corner, an X indicates intersecting burn paths, and a W can show more complex flame movement along the surface.

Fire pattern analysis on walls relies on how heat and flames char the surface to indicate where a fire started. A V-shaped burn pattern on a wall, with the apex near the floor, shows the flames and hot gases began at floor level and then surged upward along the wall. As the fire grows, heat concentrates at that lower point and climbs, creating two charred arms that rise from the bottom toward the ceiling. The apex marks the origin location on the floor, so this V shape is the clearest sign that the fire started under the wall at floor level.

Other patterns reflect different flame paths or ventilation influences: an L shape suggests burning along two walls in a corner, an X indicates intersecting burn paths, and a W can show more complex flame movement along the surface.