Topic: Fire Origin

Clive Doyle disputes the government's claim that the Branch Davidians committed mass suicide by setting the fire. He testifies that David Koresh intended to preserve the building as evidence and that the FBI created a flammable environment by pumping in gas and using tanks to demolish walls, creating a "chimney effect." Doyle describes his harrowing escape from the pitch-black, smoke-filled building as one of the last survivors to exit.

The witness disputes the claim that Branch Davidians started the fire, suggesting instead that the destruction of the building by tanks caused the blaze. The facility used large liquid-fueled heaters and Coleman lamps for warmth and light, which could have been knocked over when tanks rammed the wooden structure. The building is described not as a fortress, but as a dry wooden structure made from reclaimed materials.