FIRE
attacking the infrastructure with simple but expense means, such as numerous large fi res. In early October 2012 the Chief of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), Alexander Bortnikov, said the fi res are being set by Islamist arsonists as part of al-Qaeda’s low-cost attack strategy. He was referring to the many fi res that broke out in 2012 in Spain and Portugal. It is estimated that Spain itself had more than 190,000 acres of land destroyed in the fi rst seven months of last year, and that numerous civilian deaths were attributed to these fi res. The summer 2012 issue of Inspire,
Above: Responders work long hours to fi ght the encroachment of fi res into inhabited areas.
Below: Firefi ghters from the Fort Gillem, Forest Park, Clayton County and Morrow fi re departments fi ght to contain a fi re at the Georgia Army National Guard Readiness Center, Bldg. 608, on Fort Gillem in January 2010. In addition to the building, which could not be saved, fi refi ghters also had to contend with hot spots caused by windy weather conditions that spread the fi re to adjacent grassy and wooded areas.
Springs, Colorado in summer 2012, several suspected IIDs were found in burned areas. It has yet to be determined if they had anything to do with the fi re or if in fact they were actual IIDs at all. Recently, as the investigation has progressed since the fi re occurred last year, authorities have been asked point blank if this was a case of Fire Jihad. Their response has been extremely non-committal and evasive as to the actual cause of the fi re – other than it was of human origin. As far back as 2007, FBI offi cials had identifi ed this type of
plot on several Jihad-leaning websites. Whatever the cause of the fi re, it caused the evacuation of over 32,000 people, 346 homes were destroyed and the cost exceeded $320 million in loss and damage. Just because Fire Jihad is being denied does not mean it has not or could happen. It is a very cost-eff ective, viable tool in the terrorist’s arsenal. These wildland fi res or brushfi res eat up enormous resources in terms of both money and manpower. They can and do cause deaths. They are extremely terrifying to be caught up in. Confl icting orders, rumours, massive TV coverage, authorities knocking on your door in the middle of the night telling you to pack and leave, coming home to a pile of smouldering debris. Trained personnel get stressed; imagine the eff ect it has on civilians.
Death by a Thousand Cuts This ‘new’ strategy of Fire Jihad is being referred to as “Death by a Thousand Cuts”. This refers to ‘bleeding’ a country dry by
Photo: US Army
the online propaganda magazine run by al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, devoted more than ten pages to the topic of starting forest fi res in NATO countries. It included instructions on how to do this as well. A quote from the article is: “Fire is one of the soldiers of Allah”. It went on to state: “Imagine that, aſt er all the damage is caused, if a jihad organization were to take responsibility for the forest fi res. You can imagine the dread it would cause people in the United States, Europe, Russia and Australia.” The question remains, Does Fire Jihad
Exist? As responders and investigators we have to examine all possibilities and ignore nothing. We have too many fi res that are unattributed to known causes. This may include the recent fi re and subsequent explosion at the fertilizer plant in West, Texas, if forensic tests prove it was arson. There are way too many so-called ‘caused by lightning fi res’. Until full investigations are carried out and Fire Jihad ruled out for sure, we must consider it – even if there is no claim for responsibility. I have been involved in past terrorist investigations where the terrorist group shied away from publicity and never claimed public or private credit for their deeds. If we have a group like this actively involved in Fire Jihad we may never know. However, now we do have instances of terrorist groups making those very claims. Whether or not they are true remains to be seen. Rather than pushing the concept of
Fire Jihad, this is merely to remind others that it has happened in the past and could happen in the future, if it hasn’t already. Stay safe and always check your six. ❚❙
James B. Crippin is Director WFLETC/ Trainer J6-ICS. He has an extensive background in emergency and crime scene response, and provides training in fi re debris/explosive response and analysis in the US and around the world.
26 CBNW 2013/02
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100