What suppression activity should be prioritized to preserve evidence at a fire scene?

Prioritizing caution while using hose streams is essential for preserving evidence at a fire scene. Firefighters need to be mindful of the potential for water damage when extinguishing a fire. Excessive water application can obscure important physical evidence or damage items that may be crucial in an investigation, such as remnants of accelerants or structural components that provide insights into the fire's origin and cause.

Using hose streams carefully allows for effective firefighting while minimizing the risk of irreversible damage to evidence that investigators will rely on later. It is crucial for investigators to analyze the scene thoroughly to ascertain the fire's behavior and possible causes, and maintaining the integrity of the scene during suppression efforts is key to this process.

Maintaining this balance supports the overall aim of fire investigations, which is to gather accurate and reliable evidence for determining how the fire started and evolved.