SWAIT Newsletter

Welcome to the SWAIT newsletter. We periodically posts to this page. Our covered topics include links to news articles related to wildland arson, article analysis, arson and fire investigation training, SWAIT training updates and original content. Every few months, we will combine the posts into an email newsletter. If you would like to receive the newsletter please subscribe.

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Scott Fischer 7/15/24 Scott Fischer 7/15/24

Peering into the Mind of an Arsonist, Science or Sham?

In the article, Delving into the mind of an arsonist by KNEWS, the author interviews a criminologist and a psychologist to find out what makes an arsonist tick. Is it science or a sham?

Scott Fischer 6/19/24 Scott Fischer 6/19/24

Good Police Work or Simply Luck?

What does it take to catch a serial wildland arsonist? Does flying around looking and waiting for an arsonist to start a fire sound like good police work? In the Interlochen Public Radio article entitled To Catch an Arsonist, by Daniel Wanchura, they describe an arson case in 1984 near the Great Lakes where investigators did just that. After a series of suspicious wildland fires with no “clues or leads,” and “out of desperation” investigators take to the air to catch the arsonist in the act.

Scott Fischer 5/31/24 Scott Fischer 5/31/24

Chile Arrest Firefighter for Starting Deadly Blaze

Chile arrests two for starting devastating wildfires. If the information in the article is accurate then there are some good learning points here.

Scott Fischer 5/21/24 Scott Fischer 5/21/24

SWAIT Reno 2025

SWAIT Reno 2025 dates have been set! February 25-27 at the Reno Public Safety Training Center.

Scott Fischer 5/21/24 Scott Fischer 5/21/24

Serial Wildland Arson Investigator Training Update

SWAIT Updates

Scott Fischer 5/21/24 Scott Fischer 5/21/24

Are Wildfire Arson Cases on the Rise?

Are arson fires on the rise? House Fresh data journalists look at fire cause statistics for 2022 and 2023 from the National Interagency Fire Center.

Scott Fischer 5/20/24 Scott Fischer 5/20/24

Moreno Valley Flats Arsonist - 1991

Another case from the archives. The Banning Pass in Riverside County, California is easily one of the most arson plagued areas in the entire United States. Numerous serial arsonists have been identified in the area over the past 50 years, and sadly, 11 firefighters have died on duty because of fires set by these arsonists. The following case history is excerpted from Ed Nordskog's upcoming book on the many unsolved arson/murders in the Banning Pass. Contributors to this story include Joe Konefal and retired California Department of Forestry (CDF) Arson Investigator Cliff Williams. Photos were obtained from former CDF Investigator Doug Allen.

Scott Fischer 2/1/24 Scott Fischer 2/1/24

Professor Arsonist

Scott Fischer 1/2/24 Scott Fischer 1/2/24

The Deliveryman Arsonist

From the archives, this article analyzes 16 years of arson fires in San Diego County, California between 1980 and 1996.

Scott Fischer 12/15/23 Scott Fischer 12/15/23

Google Just Killed The Geofence Warrant

Forbes article on Google’s attempts to eliminate the geofence warrant.

Scott Fischer 12/1/23 Scott Fischer 12/1/23

SWAIT Reno Update

Make sure to sign up for SWAIT and grab your hotel as soon as possible in order to get government rate.

Scott Fischer 11/30/23 Scott Fischer 11/30/23

Do you know where your CV is?

When was the last time you updated your CV? In this article we will take a look at the CV and why you should keep your’s updated.

Photo by Ekaterina Bolovtsova: pexels.com

Scott Fischer 11/28/23 Scott Fischer 11/28/23

The Hike-In Arsonist

From the archives: Retired investigator Jack Rosevear recalls an arson case from the late 1980’s where the wildlands of Marin County, California were plagued with an expanding list of suspicious wildfires.