Fire & explosion investigation
Origin and cause analysis, ignition mechanisms, fire dynamics, gas systems, industrial incidents, and combustion-related losses.
Forensic engineering, testing & expert analysis
Scientific answers for complex fire, explosion, and mechanical failure questions.
Inception Forensic Engineering helps attorneys, insurers, manufacturers, facility owners, and technical teams understand what happened, why it happened, and what the evidence supports.
Fire origin & cause
Explosion analysis
Mechanical failures
Lab testing
Controlled testing. Defensible conclusions.
Field evidence, lab methods, and clear reporting brought together.
Evidence-led investigation
Mission
Clear, disciplined engineering when the stakes are high.
IFE combines mechanical engineering, combustion science, fire dynamics, heat transfer, thermodynamics, and laboratory testing to investigate losses involving vehicles, structures, industrial systems, energy systems, equipment, and consumer products.
The result is a consulting experience built for technical accuracy, legal usefulness, and practical communication.
Capabilities
Focused forensic engineering services
Each engagement is approached with an evidence-first process: scene information, document review, engineering analysis, testing when needed, and concise technical communication.
Vehicle & battery thermal events
On-road and off-road vehicle fires, EV and hybrid systems, e-bikes, lithium-ion batteries, BESS modules, and specialty equipment.
Mechanical failure analysis
Equipment failures, product issues, HVAC/refrigeration systems, consumer products, water and fluid losses, and industrial process systems.
Testing & research support
Custom test planning, fire and explosion tests, heat release and thermal behavior studies, validation work, and hazard assessments.
Expert reports & litigation support
Technical findings translated into clear expert reports, demonstratives, deposition support, and courtroom-ready explanations.
Hazard analysis & prevention
Failure prevention, product safety evaluation, burn hazard assessment, carbon monoxide exposure analysis, and risk-informed recommendations.
Testing, Engineering & Inspection Laboratory
Built for controlled experiments, inspection, and technical validation.
Laboratory
Investigation backed by testable science.
Complex failures often require more than a desk review. IFE supports investigations with controlled testing, inspection, measurement, and engineering analysis that help separate assumptions from physical evidence.
- Large-scale fire and explosion testing support
- Thermal behavior and heat transfer evaluation
- Battery, vehicle, appliance, and equipment testing
- Evidence inspection, documentation, and technical reporting
Method
A defensible path from evidence to conclusion
01
Collect
Review scene data, photographs, product history, documents, witness information, and physical evidence.
02
Analyze
Apply engineering principles, failure analysis, fire science, thermodynamics, mechanics, and standards-based reasoning.
03
Test
Design focused experiments or inspections when additional evidence is needed to validate or challenge a hypothesis.
04
Explain
Deliver clear opinions, exhibits, reports, and testimony support that technical and legal audiences can understand.
Professionals
Experienced engineering judgment
MC
Michael Cundy, Ph.D., P.E., C.F.E.I., C.F.P.S.
President & Principal Engineer
Mechanical engineer with deep experience in combustion, fire science, heat transfer, thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, fire/explosion investigation, and lithium-ion battery thermal events.
Fire scienceBESSTestingExpert witness
JS
James D. Smith, Ph.D., P.E., C.F.E.I., C.V.F.I.
Consulting Engineer
Mechanical engineer with forensic engineering, fire investigation, automotive product design, research and development, and regulatory engineering experience.
VehiclesMechanical failuresFire investigationR&D
Applications
Support across loss types and industries
IFE is positioned for matters where engineering, physical evidence, and expert communication must work together.
Motor vehicles
Residential structures
Commercial facilities
Industrial sites
Oil & gas operations
Mining and refining
Energy storage systems
HVAC and appliances
Consumer products
Carbon monoxide claims
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