News Release
For Immediate Release
ATF NRT Activated to Join Investigation of Commercial Building Fire with $12 Million in Damage
Denver — Special Agent in Charge (SAC) Luke Franey of the Denver Field Division, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), today announced the activation of the ATF National Response Team (NRT) to join the investigation of the Dec. 14th, commercial building fire, at 801 South Cherry, Glendale, Co. The three alarm fire is estimated to have caused more than $12 million dollars in damage. ATF is working jointly with the Denver Fire Department, Glendale Police Department and the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
“ATF is committed to investigating this fire alongside our state and local partners. We will share our fire investigation expertise and resources to thoroughly examine the origin and cause of the fire.” said SAC Franey.
ATF developed the NRT to assist federal, state, and local investigators in meeting the challenges faced at the scenes of significant arson and explosives incidents. The NRT consists of four teams organized geographically to cover the United States. Each team can respond within 24 hours to join state and local law enforcement/fire personnel in onsite investigations. This ATF NRT activation is the 2nd in fiscal year 2014 and the 749th since the NRT inception in 1978.
The teams work alongside state and local investigators in reconstructing the scene, identifying the seat of the blast or origin of the fire, conduction interviews, and sifting through debris to obtain evidence related to the incident.
In addition to investigating hundreds of large fire scenes, the NRT has also been activated to scenes such as the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, the Oklahoma City Murrah Federal Building bombing and the 9/11 Pentagon crash site, as well as explosions at explosives and ammunition manufacturing plants, legal fireworks factories and illegal explosive device manufacturing operations.
The responding NRT component typically has 13 to 18 members, including veteran special agents who have post blast and fire origin-and-cause expertise; forensic chemists; explosives enforcement officers; fire protection engineers; accelerant detection canines; explosives detection canines; intelligence support, computer forensic support and forensic audit support. Further complementing the team’s efforts are technical, legal and intelligence advisors. A fleet of fully equipped response vehicles strategically located throughout the United States provides logistical support.
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.