Nose for arson: city firefighters add canine to investigations arsenal

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This article was published 05/01/2024 (695 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A canine arson detective will soon be sniffing out potential Winnipeg crime scenes.

The specially trained dog — taught to identify a variety of accelerants people may use to intentionally start blazes — and a handler will accompany Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service crews as part of fire investigations, deputy chief Scott Wilkinson said.

“It’s primarily used to try and rule out or determine the point of origin, where the fire started and whether an accelerant was used,” he said Friday. “The way the dog does this is much faster than any other means we have and much more reliable — they’re actually more reliable than a lot of the electronic equipment.”

The cost of the dog and its training will be covered by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The WFPS has formed a relationship with the U.S. organization over previous years, Wilkinson said.

The offer came from across the international border.

“They saw an opportunity to support other organizations, which is something they do on occasion,” Wilkinson said. “Then it provides a resource. We will work collaboratively with ATF if there’s an option that we can support them with in our area.”

All other associated costs will be covered by the WFPS operating budget. A WFPS investigator will  receive five weeks of handler training in the U.S. in April.

According to a report on the pilot project, set to be discussed by City of Winnipeg council’s community services committee next week, other jurisdictions with such canine programs have reported a drop of up to 50 per cent in arson cases.

Wilkinson hopes the introduction of a new way to investigate local fires will streamline investigations for WFPS and police and deter potential arsonists.

“We do have a higher number of structure fires and fire loss in our city compared with other comparable cities, unfortunately,” he said.

“This is something we’re continuing to work on… part of that is the investigations piece. And that’s why we’re trying to augment it with the use of the (trained dog).”

In Winnipeg, there were 12 fatalities linked to blazes and more then 500 fire investigations in 2023.

malak.abas@freepress.mb.ca