Certified Fire Investigator & Fire Code Expert

Specialties & Experience of this Expert Witness

Additional Information

With over four decades of experience in the fire and life safety industry, Robert L. Rowe provides authoritative expert witness and consulting services for complex litigation. As the President of Pyrocop, Inc. and a Licensed Private Investigator, he specializes in comprehensive fire and explosion investigations, origin and cause determination, failure analysis, and building code compliance reviews. He has personally conducted over 1,500 cause and origin investigations, building a foundation of hands-on, verifiable field expertise. His specialized consulting knowledge extends deeply into intricate compliance matters, including the practical application of the California Fire and Building Codes and the National Fire Protection Association's Standards. His balanced investigative approach makes him a highly sought-after expert for both plaintiff and defense counsel in high-stakes civil and criminal matters. Mr. Rowe possesses an extensive courtroom track record, having qualified and provided expert testimony at 49 depositions and 21 trials. His litigation support spans a wide spectrum of complex disputes, including product liability, subrogation, property damage from explosions, arson defense, and standard of care for fire department operations. Retaining attorneys consistently rely on his ability to perform comprehensive third-party reviews of fire incidents and his strategic insight during case development. Serving as a Fire Marshal, Fire Captain, and Fire Investigator for the City of Downey Fire Department, he developed technical fire safety standards and enforced federal, state, and local codes regarding hazardous materials and fire prevention. Prior to this, he served as a Fire Captain and Hazardous Materials Technician for the Hughes Aircraft Company, overseeing industrial fire inspections to ensure strict OSHA compliance. Demonstrating his ongoing commitment to industry advancement, Mr. Rowe served for 17 years as the Executive Director of the Fire Sprinkler Advisory Board of Southern California. Currently, he is Vice President of Product Development and Chief of Fire Operations for SPYKE, where he provides vital fire and building code support for the development of Shape Memory Alloy heat detection technology. Education, Training, and Instruction Mr. Rowe has accumulated over 3,000 hours of specialized training from accredited institutions, focusing heavily on fire and building codes, advanced fire investigation, and hazardous materials management. A recognized authority, he actively shares his expertise as a Fire Investigation and Code Instructor for the International Association of Arson Investigators. His authoritative knowledge has also been utilized internationally as a Contract Fire Expert for evaluations in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, and domestically as an on-camera fire expert for networks including CNN and HLN. Licenses and Professional Certifications · Licensed Private Investigator: Bureau of Security and Investigative Services (PI#25454) · Certified Fire Investigator: International Association of Arson Investigators (Cert# 22-050721) · Certified Fire & Explosion Investigator: National Association of Fire Investigators (Cert# 11708-8765) · Certified Hazardous Materials Technician: California State Fire Marshal · Post Blast Training Certification: F.B.I. / L.A. Sheriff’s Dept. Professional Affiliations Mr. Rowe holds memberships with the IAAI, NAFI, and the California Conference of Arson Investigators. He contributes his technical insights as a member of Underwriters Laboratory's Technical Standards Committee for Flammable Liquid Storage Cabinets. Historically, he has influenced critical code development as a member of the NFPA 1/Uniform Fire Code Development Committee and the California Fire & Life Safety Building Standards Advisory Board.