MENU Main navigation Search BREADCRUMB HOME DEPARTMENTS & OFFICES FIRE & RESCUE FIRE CODE & INSPECTIONS FIRE INVESTIGATIONS Fire Investigations Fire Investigators investigate the causes of fires and explosions, and potentially explosive devices. Fire Investigations The Howard County Fire Code places the responsibility for investigating fires, explosions, and potentially explosive devices on the Department of Fire and Rescue Services. These duties are performed by Fire Investigators assigned to the Office of the Fire Marshal. Fire Investigators are Fire Marshals who have received specialized training in determining the origin and cause of structure and vehicle fires. Guided by a memorandum of understanding with the Howard County Police Department, Fire Investigators work in partnership with Detectives to investigate fires that are suspicious or the result of a criminal act. When not investigating fires, investigators can be found performing inspections and enforcing the Fire Code. Another important function of the Fire Investigators is the administration of the County’s Youth Fire Prevention and Intervention Program, where children who have been involved in the setting of a fire are educated on the risks of playing with fire, matches, lighters, etc. Did you know? Not all of our Fire Investigators are human! Our accelerant detection canine, Sowell, puts his nose to work during fire investigations to sniff out gasoline and other substances that could have been used to intentionally start a fire. Special thanks to the Petco Foundation for investing in our arson accelerant detection canine program. Looking for a fire investigation report? Request one here. Image TAGS HCFRS Stay Connected! Sign up for the County Executive's weekly newsletter and stay up to date on everything Howard County. Email Address Zip Code Zip Code Footer menu Resident Services Business Services Departments Government Copyright 2021 by Howard County, Maryland Footer Utility Menu Contact Us Tell HoCo Maryland Public Information Act Accessibility Careers(link is external) Hoco Dash GIS Maps