SHAH ALAM – The presence of sniffer dogs from the K9 unit in forensic investigations into fires is not unusual, said the Selangor Fire and Rescue Department.
Investigation division assistant director Norizham Mohd Nurdin said the K9 unit is called for every case that requires investigation.
“We get the K9 unit involved if there is an element of arson. It is our procedure to ensure that this unit is called to look at all possibilities,” he told reporters when met at the scene today.
He said the department deployed two English springer spaniels named Rusty and Sam, who are trained to investigate fires.
“The dogs come in pairs. One will find the cause, while the other will confirm the findings,” he said.
“The dogs have already started and are focusing on the first floor, which we believe is where the fire first started. Besides that, 50 personnel from the Shah Alam fire station in Kota Anggerik and the Selangor fire and rescue headquarters are on duty today,” he said.
Norizham said the dogs deployed in the investigation are differently skilled from the dogs used to locate victims of the recent landslide at Father’s Organic Farm in Batang Kali.
Norizham said the investigation of the Jakel fire was based on the building structure, witnesses, and videos from the public uploaded on social media, adding that the department would also record statements from the caller who witnessed the start of the fire.
On the claim that the incident was due to a short circuit, Norizham insisted that any cause will only be known after the investigation process is complete. – Bernama, January 2, 2022
