The latest addition to the Skamania Fire District may not be able to knock down a blaze, but her nose will help solve fire investigations in Washington and Oregon.
The fire district's new addition, Allie, is one of only a few arson dogs in the Pacific Northwest.
Deputy Fire Chief Patrick Nicholson said the two-year-old yellow lab helps expedite his investigations.
“It would be typical for me to spend one to three days on a scene of a fire to sift through debris and rubble,” Nicholson said. “She’s reduced an investigation time from days to hours.
Nicholson said Allie is certified and trained to sniff out accelerants used to start fires, such as lighter fluid, charcoal, gasoline, etc.
Nicholson adds his training and arson dog are granted from State Farm. According to it’s site the company has been a sponsor of the Arson Dog Program since 1993. Allie is one of 350 arson dog teams in the U.S and Canada.
“We have been called from time to time by agencies to help with wild land investigation.” Nicholson explained, saying Allie will help law enforcement agencies throughout Washington and Oregon.