The Springfield Fire Department is praising a new tool for arson investigations. The Springfield Fire Department’s Bureau of Fire Prevention recently purchased a Grace Industries hydrocarbon and accelerant detector for use by fire marshals during fire and arson investigations. Hydrocarbon detectors locate ignitable liquid accelerants in areas where visibility is low or when detection areas are difficult to identify during the process of evidence collection. The detector was put into service on November 4. It cost $1,860. “The capabilities of the hydrocarbon detector will be critical in determining whether a fire is arson,” said Fire Marshal Travis Morrissey. During fire investigations, fire marshals may deem it necessary to collect evidence that can be sent to a lab to determine if an accelerant may have been used to start the fire.