Any fire or explosion that results in property damage, injury or death (as well as those considered to have been deliberately set) is thoroughly investigated by the Fire Investigation team to determine the origin, cause and circumstance(s).
When required, Fire Investigators will consult experts from other city departments, government agencies and private organizations to determine the cause of fires.
Some of the duties performed by Fire Investigations include:
- Examining and photographing the area of the fire, preserving valuable evidence
- Working with specially trained fire dog Grover to search the fire scene for the presence of accelerants
- Interviewing building owners and occupants, witnesses and responding rescue crews for any information relating to the fire
- Working with the Emergency Support Response Team (ESRT) to assist displaced persons or families
- Liaising with insurance adjusters
- Assisting the Edmonton Police Service whenever Fire Investigations determine that criminal activity has occurred
Learn more about how to prevent arson at home and what to do after a fire.