County Fire Welcomes New Arson Dog

The Santa Barbara County Fire Department recently added a new member to its team: arson dog Riley, a black Labrador retriever. With help from his handler, fire captain/investigator Howard Orr, Riley has responded to 11 fires since September, sniffing for the presence of accelerants. Orr and Riley completed an accelerant-detection training program put on and paid for by State Farm insurance companies. The tabs for Riley’s food and veterinary care have been picked up by the Pet House and San Roque Pet Hospital, respectively.