ATF National Response Team Responds to Support Fire Investigation
Investigators looking into major fire at Anderson, S.C., strip mall complex
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Charlotte Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives today called on ATF’s National Response Team to begin a joint investigation of the fire that destroyed a large portion of a strip mall located at 3420 Clemson Blvd., Anderson, S.C.
A team consisting of ATF certified fire investigators, forensic mapping specialists, canine teams, electrical engineers and forensic chemists will arrive today in Anderson to assist the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and the Anderson Fire Department in this ongoing investigation.
The fire destroyed a large portion of the strip mall, including four occupied businesses and two unoccupied businesses. The fire caused over $3 million in damages. No injuries or fatalities were reported.
"A fire of this magnitude usually requires a broad collaboration and a number of specialized resources to help determine the origin and cause,” said Charlotte Field Division's Special Agent in Charge Vincent Pallozzi. “ATF will work in partnership with state and local fire and law enforcement agencies to assist in any way we can.”
This is the 9th NRT activation this fiscal year and the 856th callout since the inception of the program in 1978. The NRT provides an immediate and sustained nationwide response capability, typically deploying within 24 hours of notification, with state-of-the-art equipment and highly qualified ATF personnel.
Past NRT activations include such incidents as: an explosion in West Texas that killed 14 people in 2013; a fire that destroyed the Beaufort County Black Chamber of Commerce; a commercial fire in Charleston, S.C., that killed nine firefighters in 2007; and national-level incidents such as the 9/11 terrorist attack on the Pentagon; the Centennial Olympic Park bombing in Atlanta; and the Oklahoma City bombing and the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.
ATF is the federal agency with jurisdiction for investigating fires and crimes of arson. More information on ATF can be found at www.atf.gov.
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