In the News: Nicole Brewer Hired as Fire Investigator for Oregon Fires
On Labor Day, 2020 four fires burned more than a million acres across the state of Oregon, destroying thousands of homes and killing nine people.
According to Jefferson Public Radio, PacificCorp, a large electric company in the northwest, is facing multiple lawsuits including two class-action suits and two wrongful death suits because the utility failed to shut off its power lines during the windstorm.
Following the legal filing, Nicole Brewer, Principal Consultant at Envista Forensics, was hired on as a fire investigator to review the evidence and help determine whether or not PacifiCorp was at fault. Brewer reviewed available evidence including public records, documents from PacifiCorp, eyewitness testimony, burned sites, and equipment.
Brewer is a Certified Fire Investigator, Certified Fire and Explosion Investigator, and Evidence Collection Technician with over 23 years of fire service experience, and has provided expert testimony on multiple occasions in grand juries, trials, and depositions
During her investigation, Brewer found PacifiCorp’s electrical equipment likely caused or contributed to the spread of the fires in Echo Mountain, South Obenchain, Southern Oregon, and Santiam Canyon. Though, because she didn’t have full access to all public reports, further examination of the fires will still be required to identify specific causes.
State and federal investigations into the causes of these fires are still ongoing.
Nicole Brewer, IAAI-CFI, ECT, CFEI, CFII, CI
Ms. Nicole Brewer is a veteran fire investigator with over 28 years of fire service experience, including 18 years as a Fire/Arson Investigator with Portland Fire and 10 years of private fire investigation experience. Her expertise has earned her several certifications and accolades, including the Oregon IAAI Fire Investigator of the Year (2021) and the International IAAI Fire Investigator of the Year (2022). She has investigated or consulted on well over 3,000 fire incidents in a wide variety of settings. Ms. Brewer holds a B.S. in Fire, Arson, and Explosion Investigation, an M.S. in Forensic Sciences (specializing in Arson and Explosives), and is pursuing a Ph.D. in Forensic Sciences. She has contributed to the field through teaching, validating three fire investigation textbooks, and is currently involved with NIST’s Organization of Scientific Area Committees, where she is an affiliate on the Fire and Explosion Investigation Subcommittee. Her advanced technological capabilities, including Matterport 3D scanning and UAS operations for aerial assessments, enhance her investigations with comprehensive documentation. Her dedication to solving complex cases and her instructional expertise make her a respected leader in fire investigation.