Akron Fire welcomes special investigator K-9 Phoenix to sniff out arsons

AKRON, Ohio (WOIO) - The Akron Fire Department’s newest member has four legs and a super nose to help fight against arson crime.

Special investigator K-9 Phoenix is an accelerant detection canine who “has a nose up on arsonists and uses those skills to sniff out the causes of fires,” Akron Fire stated.

He is a 2-year-old yellow lab who was raised in Florida before partnering with Akron Fire Investigator Cotrufo.

The new teamed went to canine training school for a four-week program, and will now investigate fires in the Akron area.

State Farm funds the arson K-9 programs for fire departments and law enforcement agencies across the nation.

The National Fire Protection Association said an estimated 280,000 intentional fires are reported to United States fire departments each year.

Those arsons were responsible for about 420 deaths, 1,360 civilian injuries, and $1.3 billion in direct property damage every year, according to the National Fire Protection Association.

“Arson dogs play a crucial role in determining the cause of many of these fires,” AFD stated.

The Akron Fire Department shared these photos of K-9 Phoenix:

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