Fire Investigation

Raleigh Fire Department Fire Investigators determine cause and origin for fires that meet specified criteria. Fire Investigators are firefighters who hold additional certification in Fire Investigation. There are currently three full time investigators with the City of Raleigh's Fire Department.

Fire Report Requests

The Office of Fire Investigations periodically receives requests for copies of fire incident reports. The following information is provided to clarify the process for obtaining a fire incident report. These reports come in two forms:

Fire Incident Reports: These reports are prepared by the Fire Department Officer in Charge of the incident and contain basic event information and will be available for all fire incidents responded to by Fire Department personnel. Any City of Raleigh fire station has the capability to print these reports. For additional information please call 919-420-2362.

Fire Investigation Reports: These reports contain detailed information concerning the origin and cause of the fire, and are not prepared for every fire incident. For fire incidents classified as either "Incendiary," "Under Investigation" or "Undetermined," only a synopsis of this report will be released. Active criminal fire investigation reports will not be released, and completed Fire Investigation reports may not be available until at least 30 days from the date of the incident. For additional information please call 919-420-2362.

The City of Raleigh Fire Department will provide these documents upon request. Please call 919-420-2362 or write: Raleigh Fire Station #9, Office of Fire Investigations, 4465 Six Forks Road, Raleigh, NC 27609. Please allow at least seven (7) working days for preparation of the material.

To report information about a possible arson: Call the City of Raleigh Fire Department Fire Investigation office at 919-420-2362 or by e-mail fireprevention@ci.raleigh.nc.us with the information.