Case Studies
A large upscale apartment complex near the end phase of construction caught fire in the southeast sector of the fifth floor (area outlined in red) after all construction crews had left for the day. The fire spread throughout the fifth floor and attic space above the fifth-floor apartments, causing a total fire loss (estimate of $72 million) to the structure that was demolished after the completion of the investigation.
J.S. Held delivered fire investigation, building consulting, and engineering services to the insurance market group, providing coverage for the construction project and the law firms representing the market group. These included construction defect documentation, structural integrity analysis, site safety monitoring, witness interviews, fire pattern and comparative analysis, electrical arc mapping, fire spread analysis, site management, evidence collection, and fire suppression system documentation for potential subrogation purposes.
Don Davis, CFI-IFSAC, CFEI, CVFI
Regional Lead,
Fire Origin & Cause Investigations
+1 501 617 4517
[email protected]
> Fire Origin & Cause Investigations
J.S. Held's fire investigative team is comprised of the top forensic experts with unrivaled expertise on fire-related matters of all types and sizes. Using a scientific approach, our fire investigators utilize state-of-the-art techniques and unparalleled experience to determine origin and causation, ensuring we deliver our clients a reliable and defensible report.
> Property & Infrastructure Damage
J.S. Held provides support on projects ranging from daily residential claims to complex large losses around the world. We bring strength and stability as an independent advisor in determining cause, extent, and duration of damage; repairability; ACV/RCV; delay; period of restoration; and analyzing damages, schedules, and all associated costs.
> Forensic Engineering
J.S. Held’s forensic engineering experts include civil, structural, mechanical, electrical, geotechnical, and biomechanical engineers. Our forensic engineering analyses address what happened, why it happened, when the incident occurred, extent of damage, repairability, and applicable code upgrade/compliance requirements.