Fire Damage Expert Witnesses in New Mexico

This expert specializes in electrical engineering issues, and has performed numerous investigations into fires caused/allegedly caused by electrical issues. His experience includes evaluation of electronics products and their failure modes to determine whether they adhered to relevant safety standards, including those established by Underwriters Laboratories and the Canadian Standards Association. He has also evaluated products and components for structural wiring compliance with the National Electric Code. His projects have included a wide array of products and components, including but not limited to electronics, appliances, HVAC/R, residential and commercial wiring, and battery failure analysis, with an emphasis on lithium ion battery chemistry. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in multiple states, and holds a Certified Fire and Explosion Investigator certification.

This expert has over 20 years of experience in wildland fire investigation, suppression, prescribed fire, and training. He is currently the President/Owner of a private wildfire investigation, consulting, and training firm. Previously, he served as a Special Agent with the US Forest Service, specializing in wildland fire investigation and performing as the national wildland fire investigation expert, as well as, detailing as the Assistant Special Agent-in-Charge. He was also the Incident Commander of the US Forest Service Law Enforcement & Investigations Fire Investigation Team and received the US Forest Service's Special Agent of the Year Award. He is currently an active member, and former Co-Chair, of the National Wildfire Coordinating Group's Wildland Fire Investigation Committee. He has investigated hundreds of wildland fires, to include the largest fires in the history of Arizona and New Mexico. He has also instructed numerous wildland fire investigation training courses, both nationally and internationally. He was also a Subject Matter Expert in the U.S. Forest Service's International Programs organization. He holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Business Administration/Finance from Northern Arizona University.

This expert has over years of experience in prescribed fire, controlled burns, wildfire, and smoke impacts to people, vegetation, and infrastructure. He earned his BS in plant science at Cameron University and his MS in range science at Texas Tech University. This expert is active in his field as a member of the Oklahoma Volunteer Fire Department, the Coalition of Prescribed Fire Councils, and the Alliance of Prescribed Burn Associations. He is also highly-published in his field, having written one book on prescribed fire, authored or co-authored 36 extension fact sheets, and 42 peer-reviewed research articles. He began his career as a research assistant at Texas Tech University before going on to serve as a research station superintendent and a research associate at Oklahoma State University. Currently, this expert serves as a research extension specialist in prescribed fire at a university in Oklahoma.