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INSIGHTS / FORENSIC ENGINEERING / FIRE LOSS INVESTIGATIONS
FIRE INVESTIGATIONS

FIRE LOSS INVESTIGATIONS

FROM ORIGIN AND CAUSE
THROUGH RECOVERY

KPE provides multidisciplinary forensic investigation, engineering evaluation, damage assessment, and repair design services following residential and commercial fire losses.

KPE FORENSICS
October 2026
FIRE LOSS INVESTIGATIONS
Origin · Cause · Damage Assessment · Recovery

After the Fire, Important
Questions Remain

Fire Prevention Week is traditionally focused on reducing the risk of fires and improving life safety. For insurers, property owners, attorneys, and claim professionals, an equally important process begins after the fire has been extinguished.


A significant fire loss can raise multiple questions, including:

  • Where did the fire originate?
  • What caused the ignition?
  • Is the building structurally safe?
  • Which building systems were damaged?
  • Can affected components be repaired?
  • What needs to be replaced?
  • What temporary stabilization is required?
  • What is necessary to return the building to service?

A fire-loss investigation may therefore require more than a single discipline.

Fire damaged building interior

A Complete Approach to Fire Losses

KPE’s forensic team can assist with every stage of the fire-loss process, from initial investigation
through repair design and construction support.

Origin and cause investigation icon

Origin & Cause
Investigation

Structural safety and damage assessment icon

Structural Safety
& Damage Assessment

Electrical and mechanical evaluation icon

Electrical &
Mechanical Evaluation

Repair recommendations and design icon

Repair Recommendations
& Design

Origin and Cause:
Following the Evidence

A reliable fire investigation is based on the physical evidence and a systematic evaluation of possible causes. KPE follows accepted investigative methodology, including the scientific method outlined in NFPA 921, to:

1
Define the problem
2
Collect and analyze data
3
Develop potential hypotheses
4
Test the hypotheses
5
Reach a supportable conclusion

The goal is not simply to identify something that could have caused the fire. The available evidence must support how the ignition occurred and whether other reasonable explanations can be excluded.

Areas We Evaluate

Fire losses can involve many different systems and building components.
KPE's multidisciplinary team can evaluate the origin and cause of the fire and assess the resulting damage.

Fire damaged building systems

Building Systems
& Damage Assessment

  • Fire, heat and smoke damage
  • Water damage from suppression activities
  • Architectural components
  • Interior and exterior finishes
  • Windows, doors and roofing
  • Determination of repair vs. replacement
Fire damaged structural components

Structural Evaluation

  • Wood, steel and concrete framing
  • Roof and floor systems
  • Masonry
  • Foundations
  • Connections
  • Structural stability
  • Temporary shoring design
Fire damaged heating and mechanical systems

Heating & Mechanical
Systems

  • Furnaces and boilers
  • Unit heaters
  • Fireplaces and chimneys
  • Venting systems
  • HVAC equipment
  • Gas-fired equipment
  • Motors and mechanical controls
  • Plumbing systems
  • Fuel-gas systems
Fire damaged electrical systems

Electrical Systems

  • Service equipment
  • Panels and switchgear
  • Branch circuit wiring
  • Receptacles and switches
  • Lighting equipment
  • Appliances
  • Motors and controls
  • Electrical connections
  • Overcurrent protection

From Investigation
to Recovery

KPE can remain involved throughout the claim process, providing engineering expertise and design services as needed.

  • ✓ Initial investigation and documentation
  • ✓ Multidisciplinary damage assessment
  • ✓ Structural safety evaluation and stabilization
  • ✓ Repair recommendations and design drawings
  • ✓ Construction observation and support
Fire loss investigation and recovery

Local Expertise

Responsive Service

Objective Analysis

Defensible Results

Objective Analysis. Defensible Results.

Get clear answers after a fire loss.

Independent engineering evaluations focused on identifying the origin and cause, assessing the extent of damage, and developing appropriate repair recommendations.

Submit a Forensic Assignment

Or call 888-484-4939 to discuss an assignment.

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Employee Well-Being

We help our customers by prioritizing the health and well-being of our employees. Employees have learned to work efficiently and safely from home with the benefit of extra time with family without a commute. Knowing their families are safe gives them more capacity to focus on the customer’s needs.

Quality Solutions

KPE’s commitment to deliver cost-effective and timely solutions to customer’s challenges remains constant regardless of complications that arise. The current environment allows us to demonstrate our ability to adapt to changing conditions without sacrificing quality.

Quality Solutions

KPE’s commitment to deliver cost-effective and timely solutions to customer’s challenges remains constant regardless of complications that arise. The current environment allows us to demonstrate our ability to adapt to changing conditions without sacrificing quality.

Communication

Engineers and architects communicate between all branch offices and while working on projects across the country. We are committed to efficient communication with partners and clients. KPE customers praise our response time, which is a direct result of our communication practices.

Customer Delight

We are committed to addressing your concerns and guiding you through the process. Being committed to customer delight means listening to your needs, working within your budget, and planning your building around the changing needs of our social and economic climate.

Deliver

  • KPE’s planners and designers develop and implement specialized solutions to achieve your ideal educational environment.
  • Our high percentage of licensed design staff, 65%, ensure tasks are done right the first time.
  • KPE professionals have a wide range of experience including educational and office spaces.

Assess

  • KPE professionals help clients define priorities by accurately assessing existing facilities and listening to community and educational values.
  • We provide data and options for you to simply understand the best step forward in achieving your educational needs.
  • The same team drawing your construction documents are also involved in our Forensic Investigations, which means assessing design errors and construction defects on projects designed and constructed by other firms.
  • This gives KPE designers more insight on existing buildings and allows us to more accurately prepare for otherwise potentially costly changes.

Listen

  • We exchange ideas, share expertise and – above all – we listen. Through open, candid communication, we gain consensus and create truly successful design.
  • Having all architects and engineers under the same roof allows quick and efficient communication. This efficiency is accomplished by orderly internal design coordination meetings, frequent communication between departments, documentation of decisions, and frequent detailed reports to owners.
  • We engage our clients in a collaborative dialogue throughout the process. Successful projects begin with strong relationships.