Accelerant Detection Canine

Accelerant detection canine teams are trained to alert to the presence of ignitable liquids at fire scenes. The handler and dog walk the fire scene, and the dog indicates if it smells an ignitable liquid. The dog has been trained to ignore other odors present at the fire scene. If the dog does alert to an ignitable liquid, the handler marks the spot. The fire investigator then searches that area for a possible point of origin. Common Accelerants include gasoline, diesel fuel, paint thinner, kerosene, lamp oil, lighter fluid, and varsol. Not only is the canine team able to indicate the possible presence of an accelerant at a fire scene, but they can also be used to eliminate areas of a fire scene where an accelerant is not present. This allows investigators to focus their search on a smaller area, saving time and resources.