There’s a new member of the Cloquet Area Fire District and she can sniff out and find arsonists! Her name is “Wish” and along with Arson Investigator Jason Maki, the team will definitely make a difference in cracking down on this serious crime. “Wish”, a Golden Labrador Retriever and Maki, recently completed the five week canine accelerant detection school, which was sponsored by State Fire Insurance and certified by the Maine Criminal Justice Academy. “Wish” is trained to “sniff out” gasoline and other liquid acelerants used by arsonists. With her keen sense of smell, “Wish” has the ability to pinpoint where the fire may have started. Obviously, with this attribute, a lot of time is saved in the investigation process. Prior to the use of K-9 teams, fire debris samples had to be submitted to forensic laboratories by investigators. And, with this method, only a 30 to 40 percent positive result was obtained. When K-9 teams find a possible origin site and samples are sent to the lab, they often yield an 80 to 90 percent positive result. Since Arson is one of the most difficult crimes to solve and probably the most difficult to obtain a conviction, K-9 teams like “Wish” and Maki become a very valuable resource for the fire service.
Maki says he sees a definite value in having a K-9 partner. “She extends my capabilities as an investigator,” he said. “The scent-discriminating abilities of “Wish” are far better than any equipment we can take to a fire scene when the cause is suspicious. She will lead me to the location of the accelerant and from there, I can take samples, which can be sent to the state crime labs for analysis. I know we can definitely make a difference!” In addition to serving the Cloquet Area Fire District, “Wish” and Maki are also available as a state resource.
Maki gives credit to the State Farm Insurance Companies for funding the canine accelerant detection school and making it available to fire departments and law enforcement agencies across the county. Since it started in 1993, the program has placed more than 300 dogs in 44 states, three Canadian provinces and the District of Columbia. “Training a K-9 is a very expensive proposition,” said Maki. “Having State Farm as a partner in this is very beneficial and the end result will hopefully be a dramatic decrease in arson.” For arsonists, perhaps they will “Wish” that the Cloquet Area Fire District and the Arrowhead Region did not have such a team!
“Wish” and CAFD Arson Investigator Jason Maki