Who has the legal responsibility for determining the origin and cause of a fire?

The legal responsibility for determining the origin and cause of a fire typically falls on the fire investigator. This professional is specifically trained in fire investigation techniques and has the expertise to analyze the scene, collect evidence, and apply scientific methods to establish how the fire started and progressed.

In contrast, while the fire chief oversees the overall operation and management of the fire department, including investigations, the chief's role does not entail the in-depth, technical analysis required to ascertain the specifics of fire origin and cause. The incident commander focuses on managing operations at the scene, ensuring the safety of crews, and implementing firefighting strategies, but does not specialize in forensic analysis required for fire investigations. The safety officer's primary responsibility is to monitor and ensure safety protocols are followed during firefighting operations and is not involved in determining fire origins.

Since the fire investigator is the professional trained and designated for this responsibility, they are the authoritative figure in ascertaining the origin and cause, making this role critical in fire safety and legal contexts.