As a retired Firefighter, I have filled out my share of fire reports. Unless arson is suspected, the cause is listed on the report as best as the persons skill an knowledge can provide. There is no interaction with ether the property owner or city with the exception of questioning the owner as to the room layout and any information he/she can provide. Many space heater fires will be listed as electrical when in fact they can be caused by being too close to combustibles or an overloaded extension cord. Some reports were very detailed due to the expertise of the person filling it out, but most are general information only. Not a lot of electrical minded brains in the fire service. NFPA has always pressured the fire service to be more detailed in report writing as this information is used to develop codes we use. Still most firefighters lack good electrical skills.
