A new, four-legged fire investigator is already hard at work in Colorado.
Ash, a 1-year-old yellow Labrador retriever, has joined the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control to aid in fire investigations. Ash is trained to detect accelerants at fire scenes and as a therapy dog.
Ash deployed to seven fires across the state in less than two weeks on the job, the Colorado Division of Fire Protection and Control said in a news release Monday.
She attended training alongside her handler, fire investigator Matthew Morgan, at Jordan Detection K9 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Local fire departments will be able to request Ash and Morgan respond to help investigate suspected arson fires, Morgan told the Coloradoan.
"We’re pleased to be able to offer this service of having an accelerant detection canine available to our local fire and law enforcement agencies to act as part of the investigations team," DFPC Fire and Life Safety Section Chief Chris Brunette said in the news release. "Ash is one of only three accelerant detection canines available in Colorado and she is the only one currently at the state level who can quickly be dispatched to serve our communities."
Fire agencies interested in getting Ash and Morgan's help in an investigation or in a demonstration of how Ash investigates can contact the Colorado Division of Fire Protection and Control at cdps_dfpc_invadmin@state.co.us .
"I welcome Ash to the Division of Fire Prevention and Control," Gov. Jared Polis said in the news release. "Here in Colorado, fire season has become year-round, which is why we have doubled down on our fire response efforts. We want to do everything we can to prevent major fires while investing in important response tools. Ash is not only a good girl, but is now an important part of our work to keep Colorado communities safe, and we are excited to see all that she can accomplish."
This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Meet Ash, the dog trained to help investigate fires in Colorado
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