Fire Investigation Team
Introduction
The Hollister Fire Department provides full-time, professional fire investigation services to many areas of the county. The Fire Investigation Team (FIT) consists of fire, police, and deputy officers from the City of Hollister and San Benito County. The personnel provide 24-hour fire investigation services to the City of Hollister, San Juan Bautista and the unincorporated areas of San Benito County with a population of approximately 68,000 and covering an area of approximately 1400 square miles.
Duties & Purpose
The (FIT) determines the origin and cause of fires and other incidents occurring in San Benito County that are suspected to be criminal in nature.
The primary purpose of the Fire Investigation Team is the investigation of fires that are unintentionally and intentionally set; suspicious; unlawful; attempted arson; causing serious injury or death; or involving possession or use of fireworks, incendiary devices, and/or explosives.
The duties and responsibilities of the FIT include: conducting interviews of suspects, victims and witnesses; sifting through fire debris to determine the origin of the fire; identifying possible ignition sources; collecting and preserving physical evidence; documenting the fire scene with sketches and photographs; preparing, serving and returning search warrants; preparing criminal fire offense cases for submittal to the District Attorney's Office for complaints; arresting and processing criminal offenders; giving expert witness testimony and presenting evidence in court; processing felony offenses committed by juveniles; instructing fire and police personnel on fire and arson investigation procedures; and responding to fire and/or rescue emergencies, as required.
Help us fight Arson!
Community involvement is critical to solving cases of arson and the citizens of San Benito County are very helpful in providing authorities information about crimes that have occurred in their communities.
You can help the Fire Department fight fires! Call the Arson Tip line at (831)636-4325 to leave a recorded message about fire-related criminal activity in English or Spanish. You can leave an anonymous tip, but sometimes the fire investigator may need additional information, so we ask for your name and phone number if you are willing to leave it. All investigations are treated confidentially.
You can make a difference! When you call the Arson Tip Line, don't worry if you think the information, you have seemed too little or unimportant. Some of our best tips come from citizens who were not aware that what they saw was very important to the investigation of an incident.
Arson is a Crime
The U.S. Fire Administration and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) estimate an average of 316,600 intentional fires are reported to fire departments in the United States each year, causing injuries to 7,825 firefighters and civilians. An estimated $1.1 billion in direct property loss occurs annually
Every year in early May, the United States Fire Administration, a division of the Department of Homeland Security Federal Emergency Management Agency recognizes national Arson Awareness Week across the United States.
Call at (831)636-4325 or email hfdinvestigations@hollister.ca.gov
