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Nevada class prepares participants to investigate wildfires

Nevada class prepares participants to investigate wildfires
Posted at 11:45 AM, Nov 11, 2018
and last updated 2018-11-11 16:17:35-05

A hands-on class offered in northern Nevada teaches participants how to investigate causes of wildfires.

Nearly 350 people have taken the course since 2002, learning to spot clues left by the fire, interview witnesses and suspects and collect evidence.

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The Reno Gazette-Journal reports the class allows land management agencies to get more people qualified to investigate wildfires using a method that produces evidence and other information that can withstand scrutiny in all jurisdictions.

Instructors used various methods to start several fires during a recent training session in Minden and then had the students investigate them.

Daniel Cruz is a law enforcement officer for the Eldorado National Forest and a class trainer. He says it is one thing to look at a photograph and another to see an actual fire.