It is not unusual for an arsonist to want to leave a crime scene completely untouched. That means not too much damage has been done and it can be impossible to identify the victim and any evidence that were in the fire. After all, what is the point of destroying all the evidence if no one will ever find out who did it?
An arsonist’s plans can go a long way towards making the fire look like an accident. But not leaving anything at all is the safest way to destroy evidence. An expert can identify the victim and any clothing and identify any items that were burnt and dispose of them in a safe and legal manner.
One of the most important things to remember when it comes to crime scene cleanup is that there must be no smoke and/or fire damage. If there is any this can mean the removal of skin or even muscle tissue which could cause identification problems. Especially if an item is burnt to such a degree that its glow has been completely destroyed, it will probably be unable to be identified by a trained eye.
It is also a very unlikely scenario that evidence would not be disturbed. For example, if there were some remains of a person in the ground it would be sensible to place a piece of tape over the remains. On the other hand, evidence from a fire will be quite visible and easily seen by those who are looking for it. A crime scene cleanup expert is a very good choice as he will know how to manage the various types of evidence.
A murder weapon may be left somewhere, or it may be destroyed completely by fire. Any trace of a murder weapon is likely to be found at the scene and it is in the best interests of the prosecution to leave no stone unturned when it comes to identifying the murder weapon. Fire may also destroy fingerprints which are also very important.
Other important items to remember are coins, jewellery, perfume, ink, glue, clothes, hair, toys, tickets, and money. These items are likely to be in different locations as they may have been on different days, on different days on which they were bought or stolen, worn by different people and/or stored differently. They are also likely to have been disposed of differently.
As well as the burning and smoke damage, there will also be water damage. This is where important papers or photographs have been soaked in water and then ruined by exposure to smoke. Water damage is almost always a very important element of the crime scene. It is not unusual for a criminal to leave it as he will then be covered by insurance should he cause damage to the premises and insurance will pay for the clean up.
In the UK, a proper arsonist will have been reported to the police and if found guilty will be charged with the offence of arson. This crime carries a sentence of imprisonment for a period of between seven and fifteen years and heavy fines. A qualified arson expert can help reduce the crime scene cleanup cost by ensuring that the crime scene is cleaned and it is not covered by insurance, leaving little expense or risk for the insurance company.