What does contamination refer to in the context of fire evidence?

Contamination in the context of fire evidence refers to anything that can taint or compromise the integrity of physical evidence related to a fire scene. This can include the introduction of foreign substances, such as human hair, fingerprints, or other materials that were not originally present at the scene. Contamination can alter the evidence so that it no longer accurately reflects the conditions at the fire scene, potentially leading to incorrect conclusions about the cause or nature of the fire.

Understanding contamination is crucial for investigators, as maintaining the integrity of the evidence is essential for accurate analysis and legal proceedings. Proper evidence handling and collection protocols are established to minimize the chance of contamination, ensuring that the evidence gathered can be trusted and used in investigations.

Other concepts, such as evidence collected on-site, the presence of witnesses, and unintentional alterations during investigations, are related to the overall process of gathering and analyzing evidence but do not specifically define what contamination entails.