ATF National Response Team Activated to Investigate Montezuma, Ga. Warehouse Fire

/PRNewswire/ -- The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) National Response Team, along with ATF special agents from the Atlanta Field Division, have entered the investigation of a commercial warehouse fire that occurred on February 12, 2010, in Montezuma, Georgia. The NRT is deploying at the request of the Georgia State Fire Marshal's Office.

The facility, an approximately 120,000 square-foot building, located at 261 Hamilton Road in Montezuma, is the former site of Evergreen Composite Technologies a composite wood manufacturing plant. No deaths or injuries were reported, yet the building was completely destroyed.

ATF's NRT has brought definitive expertise and an array of state-of-the-art equipment to the investigation of major fire and explosives incidents since 1978. Four regional components, organized geographically to cover the United States, comprise the NRT. The team can respond within 24 hours to assist state and local law enforcement or fire service personnel in onsite investigations.

The responding NRT component normally has 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; and intelligence, computer forensic and audit support. A fleet of fully equipped response vehicles strategically located throughout the United States provides logistical support. The responding NRT team supervisor is Supervisory Special Agent Chris Porreca stationed in Jacksonville, Fla. and the Team Special Agent in Charge is Dondi Albritton, stationed in Louisville, KY.

ATF's partnership with federal, state and local officers is vital to the most effective processing efforts at an explosives or fire scene. The NRT capitalizes on that by working alongside its partners in reconstructing the scene, identifying the seat of the blast or the origin of the fire, conducting interviews and sifting through debris to obtain evidence related to the explosion or fire.

In addition to investigating hundreds of large fire and explosives scenes, the NRT trucks were deployed for the 2001 terrorist attack on the Pentagon; the Olympics and other major sporting events in the United States; presidential inaugurations and the national political conventions; and major international conferences.

This is the 11th activation of the NRT in FY 2010 and the 693nd since its inception in 1978.

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ATF National Response Team Activated to Investigate Georgia Theatre Fire

/PRNewswire/ -- The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) National Response Team, along with ATF special agents from the Atlanta Field Division, have entered the investigation of a commercial fire that occurred on Friday, June 19, at the historic Georgia Theatre in Athens. The NRT is deploying at the request of the Athens-Clarke County Fire Department and will arrive this morning to begin its work at the scene.

The structure, a popular entertainment venue located at 215 North Lumpkin Street in Athens, suffered extensive damage with a preliminary estimated loss of $1.5 to $2 million.

The NRT has brought definitive expertise and an array of state-of-the-art equipment to the investigation of major fire and explosives incidents since 1978. Four regional components, organized geographically to cover the United States, comprise the NRT. The team can respond within 24 hours to assist state and local law enforcement or fire service personnel in onsite investigations.

The responding NRT component normally has 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; and intelligence, computer forensic and audit support. A fleet of fully equipped response vehicles strategically located throughout the United States provides logistical support. The responding NRT team supervisor is Special Agent Chris Porreca and the Team Special Agent in Charge is Dondi Albritton.

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Fire on the Mountain! Returns to Sprewell Bluff

Participants of all ages are invited Saturday, March 14, to Fire on the Mountain! – the annual celebration of an ongoing effort to conserve areas of rare montane longleaf pine habitat through the use of prescribed fire at Sprewell Bluff State Park near Thomaston.

Watching safely from the banks of the Flint River, visitors can observe the fascinating practice of prescribed burning as professionals carefully set fire on Pine Mountain ridge.

“Fire is essential to maintaining many species of wildlife and their habitats found here at Sprewell Bluff,” said Nathan Klaus, a senior wildlife biologist with the Georgia Wildlife Resources Division’s Nongame Conservation Section. “Natural resource professionals feel that it is important to share this knowledge about fire with local citizens, and what better way to do that than with a safe, first hand experience.”

Beginning at noon March 14, festival goers will enjoy the sounds of bluegrass music, the tastes of festival foods sponsored by the Thomaston Upson County Chamber of Commerce and the natural beauty that makes Sprewell Bluff such a special place.

Throughout the afternoon, natural resource agency staff will provide demonstrations on how and why prescribed fires are conducted, presentations on Georgia’s unique and diminishing longleaf pine forests, and live animal programs showcasing some of the wildlife that call the Piedmont eco-region home.

“With acceptable wind speed and direction, temperature, and humidity as ‘prescribed’ in our burn plan, we will begin the prescribed fire demonstration on the mountainside, giving spectators a close up look at Mother Nature’s fireworks set in the natural amphitheater of the Flint River Valley,” Klaus said.

Historically, natural fires frequently swept across the unfragmented landscape, helping shape the diversity of plants and animals found there. And fire is still an important tool for maintaining healthy longleaf pine ecosystems throughout the Southeast. Prescribed fire helps prevent the encroachment of competing hardwoods and restores a grassy understory lush with ferns, wildflowers and other herbaceous plants. Fire also helps establish important habitat for many wildlife species such as the bobwhite quail, wild turkey, Bachman’s sparrow and the endangered red cockaded woodpecker.

Wildlife Resources biologists and other burn teams use prescribed fire on thousands of acres each year throughout Georgia to manage wildlife habitats and reduce the risk of damage from wildfires.

Sprewell Bluff State Park and State Natural Area boast more than 3,000 acres along the Flint River. The park and natural area are popular among outdoor enthusiasts for their wildflowers, wildlife, and scenic, rocky bluffs overlooking the river.

Admission to the event is only $3 per vehicle. Organizers include the Department of Natural Resources’ State Parks & Historic Sites and Wildlife Resources divisions, the Georgia Forestry Commission, Thomaston-Upson County Chamber of Commerce, The Nature Conservancy of Georgia, Callaway Gardens, Georgia Power and The Environmental Resources Network (T.E.R.N.), a nonprofit supporting the Wildlife Resources Division’s nongame work.

For more information on Fire on the Mountain! at Sprewell Bluff State Park, visit www.georgiawildlife.com.

Please check the Web site before March 14 for updates on possible event cancellation due to inclement weather.

FIRE ON THE MOUNTAIN! AT A GLANCE

** What: Fire on the Mountain!, annual celebration of conserving montane longleaf pine habitat using prescribed fire at Sprewell Bluff.

** When: Noon till after sunset Saturday, March 14

** Where: Sprewell Bluff State Park, Thomaston.

** Highlights: Prescribed fire demonstrations, presentations on longleaf pine forests, live animal shows, bluegrass music and food.

** Admission: $3 per vehicle. Shuttle service provided from designated parking areas.

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ATF Doubles Reward for Information on Fort Benning J.A.G. Office Building Fire

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) today announced that they are offering an additional $5,000 for information that would assist investigators in determining the cause of the fire that occurred on Feb. 6, at the Ft. Benning Judge Advocate General (J.A.G.) Office building.

ATF is matching the $5,000 reward offered earlier by the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command (CID) for information on the fire.

Anyone with information regarding the incident should contact CID at 706-545-8915 or e-mail CID at crimetips@conus.army.mil, or ATF's 24-hour, toll-free hotline at 1-888-ATF-FIRE (1-888-283-3473).

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Prescribed Fire Week, Burn Team Mark Start of Season

Temperatures are dropping but burn season is heating up across the state as a prime time for controlled burning kicks in. And with Prescribed Fire Awareness Week also approaching, the newest recruits to a mobile burn team are ready to go.

This year’s burn crew represents agencies and organizations including The Nature Conservancy, the Georgia Plant Conservation Alliance and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.

“We just had one of the best fire training sessions ever down at General Coffee,” DNR wildlife biologist Shan Cammack said of recent training at the state park near Douglas.

Sessions involved Student Conservation Association (SCA) members and volunteers from the Conservancy and the Plant Conservation Alliance (GPCA).

“Our SCA crew looks to be amazing and the rest of the class was filled with super-bright GPCA and Conservancy volunteers,” said Cammack, coordinator of the prescribed fire crew for the DNR Wildlife Resources Division’s Nongame Conservation Section.

Prescribed Fire Awareness Week runs from Feb. 1-7, recognizing land managers who protect and maintain the state’s forest resources, and helping those managers and state and federal officials inform state lawmakers and the public about using controlled burns to reduce the risk of wildfires.

Prescribed fire is a safe, natural process that helps insure healthy ecosystems. The practice is considered essential to managing fire-dependant wildlife such as quail, wild turkeys, songbirds and the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker. Controlled burning also is the only known method for perpetuating the longleaf/wiregrass ecosystem, Georgia’s most diverse type of forestland.

Visit the Georgia Prescribed Fire Council Web site at www.garxfire.com to learn more. The council works with the Georgia Forestry Commission and others to promote the exchange of information, techniques and experience regarding prescribed burning.

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ATF National Response Team Activated to Carroll County, Georgia Tire Plant Fire

PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- At the request of the Carroll County (Ga.) Fire Rescue Department, the National Response Team (NRT) from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), along with ATF special agents from the Atlanta Field Division, have entered into the investigation of a large commercial fire in Bowdon, Georgia. The fire occurred Nov. 16, 2008, at the Carlisle Tire and Wheel Company's 250,000-square-foot manufacturing plant located at 500 Wedowee Street. Other agencies responding to the incident include the Georgia State Fire Marshal's Office, Bowdon Police Department and Carroll County Sheriff's Office.

The NRT will begin its work at the scene today, working alongside state and local investigators in reconstructing the scene, identifying the origin of the fire, conducting interviews, and sifting through debris. This will be the fourth NRT activation in fiscal year 2009 and the 662nd activation since the inception of the NRT in 1978.

In 1978, ATF developed the NRT to provide resources to 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 assist state and local law enforcement/fire service personnel in onsite investigations.

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 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 explosives device manufacturing operations.

The teams are each composed of 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 audit support. Further complementing the team's efforts are technical, legal and intelligence advisors. Moreover, a fleet of fully equipped response vehicles strategically located throughout the United States is available to provide logistical support.

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ATF National Response Team Activated to Georgia Mill Fire

PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Response Team (NRT) from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) along with ATF special agents from the Columbus Satellite Office and the Macon Field Office, of the Atlanta Field Division, have entered into the investigation of a large commercial fire at the request of the Columbus Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services. The fire occurred Thursday, Oct. 30, at the Bibb Mill located at 3715 First Ave., downtown Columbus. The NRT arrived today and will begin its work at the scene.

The 750,000 square foot structure was built around 1920 and holds significant historical value to the community. The approximate loss is estimated at $2 million. The Mill housed several businesses and a portion of the property was to be converted to a condominium community. There are no reported injuries at this time and the investigation is continuing.

In 1978, ATF developed the NRT to provide resources to 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 assist state and local law enforcement/fire service personnel in onsite investigations.

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 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 teams are each composed of 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 audit support. The teams work alongside state and local officers in reconstructing the scene, identifying the seat of the blast or origin of the fire, conducting interviews, and sifting through debris to obtain evidence related to the bombing/arson.

Further complementing the team's efforts are technical, legal and intelligence advisors. Moreover, a fleet of fully equipped response vehicles strategically located throughout the United States is available to provide logistical support.

This will be the NRT's second activation in fiscal year 2009 and the 660th activation since the inception of the NRT in 1978.

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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