Which term refers to all of the information gathered and used by an investigator in determining the cause of a fire?

Which term refers to all of the information gathered and used by an investigator in determining the cause of a fire?

• A. Clues
• B. Discussion
• C. Evidence
• D. Findings

Answer: (C)

Evidence is the term that covers all information gathered and used by an investigator to determine the cause of a fire. It includes physical items found at the scene, documentation, photos, measurements, lab analyses, and witness statements. This collection is analyzed and connected to form a coherent picture of how and where the fire started. Clues are individual indicators within that body of information that point to possible causes, but they don’t by themselves represent the entire data set. Findings are the conclusions drawn from evaluating the evidence, and the discussion is the narrative that explains how the evidence supports those conclusions. So the combined information investigators use to reach the origin-and-cause determination is the evidence.

Evidence is the term that covers all information gathered and used by an investigator to determine the cause of a fire. It includes physical items found at the scene, documentation, photos, measurements, lab analyses, and witness statements. This collection is analyzed and connected to form a coherent picture of how and where the fire started. Clues are individual indicators within that body of information that point to possible causes, but they don’t by themselves represent the entire data set. Findings are the conclusions drawn from evaluating the evidence, and the discussion is the narrative that explains how the evidence supports those conclusions. So the combined information investigators use to reach the origin-and-cause determination is the evidence.