Tulsa Fire Department Enlists Help Of K-9 To Sniff Out Arson

The Tulsa Fire Department has a new tool for sniffing out arson.

Tulsa has been without an arson dog since 2010, but its newest crime-fighting tool is now on duty.

Canyon the K-9 officer is specially trained to detect several different types of ignitable liquids that may be used to intentionally start a fire.

Canyon trained for six weeks, then his handler went to Virginia to train with his for six more weeks.

Actually, Canyon started off as a guide dog for the blind, but Capt. Scott Winford said the laborador's inquisitive nature made him a better fit smelling trouble.

"He's basically just trained to associate the odor of many different ignitable liquids with food and whenever he alerts on an ignitable liquid, he sits and he gets food," Winford said.

Canyon is the only dog of his kind in Oklahoma.

He'll work not only with Tulsa firefighters, but also with surrounding departments and ATF as well.