May 20, 2009

One car and then another catch fire and go up in flames. That's how a training exercise for local firefighters unfolded Wednesday.

The vehicle fires are part of a training class for both Charlottesville and Albemarle County fire investigators.

This was just the first part of training and next week students will come back for the test. They'll check out the scene looking for traceable clues like finger prints and DNA.

Charlottesville Fire Marshal William Hogston says this training class will help prepare investigators for different types of arson.

“If we do have a rash of car fires or house fires at least we know how to process the scene in a format that we can easily prosecute the case should it be arson,” said Hogston.

Not only will firefighters have to locate evidence through the smoke and fire damage, they'll also have to sift through natural elements like what the weather will do over the next week.