Fire service raises glass to sniffer spaniel Fizz

Fizz is an energetic Sprocker Spaniel who uses her nose to detect deliberate fires

A lively Sprocker Spaniel has been praised for helping a fire service investigate blazes believed to have been started deliberately.

Fizz works with her handler and fire investigation officer Graham Currie for Essex County Fire and Rescue Service.

She has been trained to detect the faintest trace of accelerants such as petrol, paraffin and lighter fluid - substances that can determine whether or not a fire has been started on purpose.

Mr Currie said: "She doesn't see it as work; she's just playing her game and looking for her reward. But for us, that enthusiasm turns into evidence, and she has made a real difference to the way we investigate fires."

Graham Currie is Fizz's handler and also works as a fire investigation officer

Since July 2021, Fizz has attended dozens of incidents in Essex and supported investigations in other counties.

Mr Currie said Fizz can find seemingly odourless accelerants within seconds.

One of her call-outs involved a series of fires that broke out across Southend-on-Sea in the early hours of 22 April this year.

Emergency crews tackled three blazes within an hour - two car fires and a flat that was ablaze.

Fizz's discovery in a lounge and a car footwell led to significant evidence being obtained, which was crucial in proving the fires were linked and deliberate.

A 28-year-old man was jailed for six years and two months in connection with the fires, the service said.

Fizz was trained by Mr Currie and she is licensed each year by the police under National Police Chief Council-recognised certification - accreditation that is accepted in courts around the world.

Although Fizz has been described as a professional, her main motivation for work continues to be the chance to play with her tennis ball.

The fire service said: "When she finds what she is looking for, she gets her reward - a quick game, a pat on the head and words of praise from Graham.

"Fizz might think she is just playing, but her work has helped confirm causes, support convictions and keep communities safer."