Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe told CNN that it appeared to be a “strong possibility” that the fire had been set deliberately.
“Ultimately, what investigators will rely upon is the same sort of kind of post-fire investigation that we see in arson cases and things like that,” he said. “They’re going to be looking for evidence that this fire was intentionally set, and if it was set to draw in a firefighter response for the purpose of waging this attack.”
Investigators would be looking at the mechanics of the fire, where it started, whether accelerant was used and what device sparked it, McCabe said.
“Typically, arsonists – people who set fires intentionally – leave behind really characteristic clues of that nature,” he said, adding that a deliberate blaze was “certainly high up on the list of possibilities right now.”
McCabe also praised the firefighter who called in the shooting as “remarkable.”
“I’m so impressed by the way that they’re able to kind of keep their cool under unbelievably intense and terrifying situation. They’re identifying casualties, they are reporting about their ability to evacuate individuals,” he said, while “literally pinned down behind the rig – which is of course the fire truck.”
