When a fire occurs in Jackson Township, the volunteer fire company extinguishes the fire. Once the fire is out, the fire scene is turned over to the Fire Marshal for investigation into the origin and cause of the fire. Once the origin of the fire is determined then the cause is determined. If that cause is arson, the Fire Marshal pursues that investigation until the responsible party is brought to justice. If the cause is other than arson, the Fire Marshal determines if the cause was carelessness, equipment or product failure, or natural. In all cases the scene is preserved and documented.
The fire investigation process is important for several reasons. If a careless or hazardous condition caused the fire, these conditions can be corrected so that another fire does not occur. If the fire was caused by a mechanical or product failure, the manufacturer can be notified to correct the problem and/or recall the item, and also to take responsibility for the fire. If the fire was arson, the criminal will be stopped from committing other arson offenses.