STERLING, Ill. — Editor's note: The video above aired July 10, 2023.
A team from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has joined the investigation into the fatal fire that occurred in Sterling on Friday, July 7.
The Chicago Field Division of the bureau requested ATF's National Response Team (NRT) come investigate after one resident died and two were injured after the three-story structure burned down in the 400 block of 3rd Street.
NRT members arrived on the scene in the afternoon of Monday, July 10, to assist Sterling Fire, Sterling Police and the Illinois State Fire Marshal in the investigation to determine the cause and the origin of the fire.
The NRT team consists of Special Agents, certified fire investigators, fire protection engineers, electrical engineers, forensic chemists, certified explosives specialists, an intelligence research specialist, a medic and an accelerant detection canine with handler.
Sterling's City Manager Scott Shumard says the NRT's offer to assist was extended early Friday, and "we immediately extended an invite to them in order to provide the best possible investigation into the cause of this tragic fire.”
In an email to local media, Shumard continues by saying that "the call out of the ATF certified fire investigators does not require that firearms or explosives were used as some have speculated, nor does it indicate whether or not the fire was an arson. The cause remains under investigation."
"The NRT is here to provide specialized resources to help determine the origin and cause of this fire,” Christopher Forkner, ATF NRT supervisor, said. “ATF is a force multiplier for our state and local law enforcement partners to assist them in their fire investigative duties working alongside our field division experts and employing state-of-the-art technology.”
A description of the NRT says they "provide an immediate and sustained nationwide response capability, typically deploying within 24 hours of notification, with state-of-the-art equipment and highly qualified ATF personnel specializing in fire origin and cause determination."
The NRT is comprised of three regional components organized geographically to cover the United States. The team can rapidly respond to assist local and state law enforcement or fire service personnel in onsite investigations. The field division covering the Sterling scene is out of Chicago.
Past NRT activations include such incidents as the Nashville “Christmas Day” bombing; more than 200 fire scenes resulting from civil unrest throughout the Midwest in 2020; a series of bombings in Austin, Texas, in 2018; and national-level tragedies such as the 9/11 terrorist attack on the Pentagon; the Centennial Olympic Park bombing in Atlanta; the Oklahoma City bombing and the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.
More information on the ATF can be found by clicking here.