A fire that occurred Sept. 10, 2006, at Goodyear Express Tire in San Diego is under investigation by the National Response Team (NRT) from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Special agents from the San Diego field office also are involved in the investigation.
John A. Torres, special agent in charge of ATF's Los Angeles Field Division, says "damage to the Goodyear Express Tire store is estimated at approximately $3.5 million."
The NRT is comprised of four regional components, organized geographically to cover the United States. The team can respond within 24 hours to assist state and local law enforcement or fire service personnel in on-site investigations.
ATF's partnership with federal, state and local officers is vital to the most effective processing efforts at an explosives or fire scene. The NRT capitalizes on that by working alongside its partners in reconstructing the scene, identifying the seat of the blast or the origin of the fire, conducting interviews and sifting through debris to obtain evidence related to the explosion or fire.
This is the 16th NRT activation in fiscal 2006 and the 617th since the program began in 1978.
