A new program aimed at preventing arson has been launched in Chatham-Kent.
Chatham-Kent Fire and Rescue has teamed up with CK police, the Historic Downtown Chatham BIA, and staff from Chatham-Kent Economic Development to educate local business owners about the proactive steps they can take to address the risk of fire.
While the number of arson-related cases is relatively low in Chatham-Kent, Fire Chief Chris Case said the initiative was brought on to reduce the overall number of fires from starting in the first place.
"Arson is very much a crime of opportunity," said Chief Case. "As a previous arson investigator, I know that it's usually something where combustibles have been left available. If you can keep those locked away, that will reduce the opportunity."
Case said the new program focuses on taking a look at the simple steps to prevent the worst from happening. It aims to educate local business owners about fire prevention, specifically arson, which is often a crime of opportunity, making it essential for businesses to take proactive steps to address the risk.
“A fire at any business can greatly impact operations and is a setback for owners and the surrounding community,” said Chief Case. “This can be even more devastating when the fire was intentionally lit. Our goal is to protect the core of our communities, by saving lives and protecting livelihoods and we continue to explore partnerships to support our businesses.”
According to Case, in a lot of cases, there are two types of arson-related fires. He said there is mischief and general vandalism and the other is targeted - at a business, a home, etc.
"These things are relatively rare in Chatham-Kent," said Chief Case. "When they do happen, the combination of the Fire Marshall's office, Chatham-Kent police, and our fire investigators, are good at gathering the evidence to make sure people are caught."
Chatham-Kent Police continue to investigate a suspected arson at True North Cannabis in downtown Wallaceburg. Two neighbouring businesses were also damaged in the June 5th fire.
"What we are trying to do here, is to prevent the opportunity of this ever happening in the first place," said Chief Case. "We have seen several incidents in the past, but we're trying to keep it simple and prevent the fires from happenings - both accidental and deliberate."
Municipal officials will be out visiting more communities across Chatham-Kent in the following weeks.
