Ignitable Liquids Reference Collection and Substrate Databases

Image of firefighters attempting to put out a house fire.

About

The Ignitable Liquids Reference Collection (ILRC) and Substrate databases were developed by the National Center for Forensic Science (NCFS) at the University of Central Florida in collaboration with the ILRC committee of practicing fire debris analysts.   The ILRC and Substrate databases contain separate compilations of data from reference materials that is intended for use by forensic analysts to conduct fire debris analysis.  Records in the ILRC database contain information about ignitable liquids with data prepared in accordance with ASTM standard methods utilized in fire debris analysis.  Records in the Substrate database contain information about materials that may produce interfering products in fire debris with data prepared in accordance with ASTM standard method utilized in fire debris analysis.

Funding for the ILRC and Substrate databases has been provided by the University of Central Florida and the National Institute of Justice.

To cite the database use the following: Ignitable Liquids Reference Collection/Substrate databases [internet].  National Center for Forensic Science, University of Central Florida. [cited yy/mm/dd], Available from: http://ilrc.edu/

New!

Fire Debris Datasets are available for download!

History

  • In 1998, the idea of an ignitable liquids reference collection database was conceived through a national survey of forensic laboratories.  
  • Development of the ILRC database began in 1999 by a Technical Working Group for Fire and Explosions (TWGFEX) sub-committee name the ILRC committee and the National Center for Forensic Science.  
  • Development of the ILRC database began in 2000 and became available to the community in 2002 with 100 records.  
  • The database management system interface that allows users to input queries to the database and retrieve records was redesigned and reconstructed in 2006 and available to the community in 2007.  
  • Development of a Substrate database began in 2007 with the database becoming available to the community in 2010.
  • From 2012 to 2014, fifty ignitable liquids were weathered and biologically degraded under award under award 2011-DN-BX-K539.  This project produced 440 records demonstrating the possible state of ignitable liquid residues in fire debris.
  • From 2016 to 2018, the Substrate database was expanded under award 2015-DN-BX-K051. This project produced 10 records each for 150 new substrate materials to demonstrate potential interferences encountered in fire debris analysis.