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A7A2DB51887DA33E87258895005562F8 Hearing Summary




PUBLIC
BILL SUMMARY For WILDLAND FIRE INVESTIGATION ISSUES

INTERIM COMMITTEE  WILDFIRE MATTERS REVIEW COMMITTEE
Date Aug 5, 2022      
Location Old State Library



Wildland Fire Investigation Issues - Committee Discussion Only
09:32:41 AM  
Justin Whitesell,
Emergency Operations Manager, Larimer County Sheriff Office, Justin Atwood,
Investigator, Larimer County Sheriff's Office, and Vaughn Jones, Chief
of Wildland Fire Management Section, Division of Fire Prevention and Control
introduced themselves and gave a presentation on wildland fire investigations.
Mr. Whitesell gave an overview of local responsibilities, fire investigations
in other states, and challenges.
09:41:05 AM  
Mr. Whitesell and
Chief Jones answered questions about Senate Bill 22-080, percentage of
fires that are investigated, determining factors for what needs to be investigated,
and percentage of fires that are human caused.
09:50:35 AM  
Mr. Atwood gave a
an overview of his experience investigating fires and the complications
involved in fire investigation, and cross-training that has been useful
to help cohesiveness across departments.
09:54:55 AM  
Chief Jones talked
about the thousands of wildfires that Colorado sees annually, the success
in 2022 with minimal large fires, supporting local agencies, use of an
arson dog, the needs in departments of varying sizes, and Fire Commission
recommendation 21-03. The following handout was given to the committee:
https://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/images/fire_investigations_handout.pdf.
09:59:35 AM  
The committee asked
questions regarding Senate Bill 22-080. Chief Jones responded, emphasizing
cause and origin, investigative and law enforcement, and prosecution being
incuded in legislation regarding investigation. Mr. Whitesell added information
on training.