The McMullen Company

Fire Investigation, Code Consulting & Expert Witness Services

The McMullen Company provides fire investigation, fire and building code consulting, litigation support, and expert witness services throughout California, across North America, and internationally.
Led by James F. McMullen, former Chief of the California State Fire Marshal’s Office, our team assists plaintiffs and defendants, attorneys, insurers, government agencies, businesses, and property owners with complex fire and life-safety matters.
Our experience includes fire origin and cause, suspected arson, wildfire, fire department operations, historical fire codes, fire protection systems, lithium-ion battery fires, window-fall safety, cannabis facilities, fireworks, and other specialized fire and life-safety issues.
Click on any of our services for more information about each.

Fire Origin, Cause & Arson Investigation
The McMullen Company conducts forensic investigations to evaluate how and where fires began, how they spread, and what conditions contributed to the resulting damage, injuries, or loss of life.
Our investigative services include:
Wildfire Investigation & Consulting
The McMullen Company provides wildfire investigation, risk evaluation, mitigation consulting, and litigation support involving wildland fires and the wildland-urban interface.
Our wildfire services include:
Our experts evaluate fire origin, spread, environmental and structural conditions, vegetation, utilities, emergency response, and other factors that may contribute to wildfire ignition or damage.
Fire Protection Systems, Equipment & Emerging Technologies
The McMullen Company evaluates the design, installation, inspection, maintenance, operation, and performance of fire protection systems and safety equipment.
Our services include matters involving:
Our experts can evaluate whether systems and equipment complied with applicable requirements and whether their design, condition, maintenance, operation, or failure contributed to an incident.
Expert Witness & Litigation Support
 
The McMullen Company provides expert witness and litigation-support services across all of our fire and life-safety practice areas.
Our litigation services include:
We accept assignments from both plaintiffs and defendants.
Fire & Building Code Consulting
Fire and building code requirements can change significantly over time. Determining which code, ordinance, regulation, or standard applied on a particular date is often critical to evaluating compliance and the applicable standard of care.
The McMullen Company maintains an extensive collection of current and historical fire and building codes, model codes, regulations, and technical standards.
Our code-consulting services include:
We assist property owners, businesses, attorneys, insurers, design professionals, and government agencies in determining what requirements applied and whether the conditions or actions at issue were consistent with those requirements.
Fire Department Management & Operations
Fire department matters often require an understanding of administration, emergency response, operational decision-making, training, staffing, apparatus, and accepted fire-service practices.
Our fire-service consulting and expert witness services include:
Our experience includes consultation with fire departments, public agencies, attorneys, insurers, businesses, and property owners.
Specialized Fire & Life-Safety Services
Some fire and life-safety matters require specialized experience beyond traditional fire investigation and code consulting.
Our specialized services include:
Window Safety & Fall Prevention
Cannabis Facilities
Homeless-Encampment Fire-Risk Analysis
Fireworks & Pyrotechnics
Discuss Your Fire or Life-Safety Matter