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Embercast 5- Smart Outlets at Fire Scenes: Research with Madison Hall and Elias Phipps student and alumni of Eastern Kentucky University
Description
What can a fire investigator learn from the remains of a burned smart outlet? In this short episode, Chasity and Scott speak with Eastern Kentucky University students Madison Hall and Elias Phipps at the 2026 IAAI International Training Conference in St. Louis. They discuss their research on identifying Wi-Fi-enabled smart outlets after a fire and distinguishing their components from those of standard AC adapters.
Madison and Elias burned and disassembled devices, then documented the surviving components with photographs and X-rays. In their experiments, relays and Wi-Fi chips remained recognizable even after substantial heat exposure. They explain how those components could help an investigator identify a smart outlet in a fire scene and decide what additional evidence to examine.
The conversation also explores why identification matters: a smart outlet can remotely supply power to a device that has already been left switched on. The students discuss a case from Sweden involving a remotely activated soldering iron, along with the potential value and challenges of obtaining device activity records. Their work offers a starting point for recognizing emerging technology in fire investigations and points to further research on the data these devices may retain.
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