Journal of Indian Academy of Forensic Medicine

Burn injuries are not infrequent in India. These may be of variable degrees and their extent may also range from a small localized patch of scorching of skin to burning of bones even to the extent of their turning into ashes. Various factors may influence these changes, so to analyse and interpret them, detail and minute examination of body, study of specific patterns of burns, their extent and depth in the various parts of body, behaviour of fire and fuel, origin and continuance of fire, nature of heat and its transmission and examination of scene of incidence are essentially required to reconstruct and determine the cause and manner of death with scientific clues. Need for such examination has been discussed in this paper.