La Verne launches city fire and arson investigation program, officials say it will speed prosecutions and prevention

La Verne's fire department on Feb. 3 unveiled a permanent fire and arson investigation program intended to improve how the city determines the cause and origin of fires and to support criminal prosecutions where appropriate.

"The purpose of this program is to ensure that all the fires in the city of La Verne are ... that there's a cause and origin for every single fire we investigate," Fire Marshall Fred St an said in a presentation to the City Council, describing the investigative steps and the time required for a thorough origin-and-cause investigation.

Chief Nick told the council the program is a major addition for the city and stressed the need for regional cooperation after multiple large wildfires. "We are required by California health and safety code and the fire code to determine the cause of all of these fires," the chief said, noting support from the La Verne Police Department and other partners.

Fred described the investigative process as methodical and time-consuming: arriving on scene, documenting an exterior 360, analyzing burn and smoke patterns indoors, interviewing witnesses, testing hypotheses and composing a written report that can take several hours to complete. He said investigations sometimes require reconstruction of scenes to identify patterns and cited recent local incidents that demanded extended work.

The presentation also acknowledged outside assistance the department previously relied on. "Investigator Bennett was kind enough to come over and do a basic fire investigation or cause and origin training with all of our captains," Fred said, thanking investigator Chris Bennett for his support while the city developed its own capability.

City officials said the program will help collect data for prevention, enable targeted public education (for example, on risks associated with lithium-ion batteries), and provide evidence to pursue criminal charges when arson is suspected. Council members and staff applauded firefighters for their state deployments and said the program professionalizes local response and strengthens mutual-aid capabilities.

Council and staff invited department members forward for a photo after the presentation. No formal council action was required to receive the briefing; the department will continue training and coordination with law enforcement as the program is implemented.