Unlike the typical crime show, it takes more than an hour to close an arson case. After dozens of arson investigations ignited this year, NEWS9 got a rare look at how officials uncover fiery crimes at the Ohio State Fire Marshal's Office.

Assistant Chief Josh Hobbs, of the Fire and Explosion Investigation Bureau, explained how instructors developed three pods to look like residential homes before setting a controlled fire to each one for a class on arson investigation.

"We note fire damage and smoke damage along the wall," said Hobbs. "These are what we call lines of demarcation along the walls. It shows you level the smoke has banked down."

Fire investigators said they also look for signs of other crimes at the scene, such as forced entry.

"(We ask) is there anything missing, so when we interview the homeowner, we're going to start looking for signs of the home being burglarized, things of that nature,” he said.

They bag charred samples for the forensics lab and then tiny debris pieces are placed in tubes and run through a machine. It reads the material and creates a graph to match the sample with what ignited the fire. Forensic analysts keep a locker full of everything -- from lamp oil and fuel to WD-40 -- to help them pinpoint flammable liquids.

After more tests, workers then lift fingerprints to catalog more evidence. No matter how burnt, the smallest piece gives huge results.

"It may be changed or degraded a little bit, but we can still typically find that any kind of ignitable liquid that was used in a fire or incendiary device," said Chad Wissinger, the forensics laboratory chief.

Wissinger said the types of fires and explosions they see in the lab are changing.

"We're actually seeing a lot of meth labs now with the new method that they are using to create the meth," said Wissnger. "(There are) a lot of fires and explosions and accidents that are happening, which we're seeing a lot of evidence from those types of cases recently."

With arson numbers up in Ohio, officials said people are getting more creative.

"They're trying new methods. They're trying new types of materials. They're trying new types of flammable liquids," said State Fire Marshal Larry Flowers. "They're trying all kinds of things."

Flowers said that doesn't stop their detective work.

"We really depend on the citizens of Ohio, neighbors, family members (to provide) additional information, to add to that one piece in the puzzle that will make us successful," said Flowers.

Investigators said they examine every angle, even looking at signs of a burglary or worse as arsonists try to cover their tracks.

"That's something that's changing very rapidly is the crime concealment aspect of arson. So that's something that we spend a lot more time with than what was done 10, 15, 20 years ago," said Hobbs.

Flowers said they can work on arsons for weeks, months or more, but he said every case remains open until they get that last puzzle piece to close it.