ATF Releases All Fires from 2005 DC Serial Arsonist
WASHINGTON, April 26, 2022. Just in time for Arson Awareness week (May 2-6) comes new information on the DC Serial Arsonist.
For the first time, ATF released all fires from the 2005 conviction of Thomas Sweatt. The fires were admitted to during a proffer session with the arson task force as part of a plea deal in 2005. Over 300 fires were released to Platform Media through a FOIA request for the true crime podcast ARSON. Previously only 45 fires were made public. The fires are catalogued in an interactive map on www.iaaiarson.com.
The International Association of Arson Investigators developed the podcast “Arson” that highlights top criminal arson investigations across the U.S. Season one is produced by IAAI in cooperation with ATF and was released this year.
Season one, with seven episodes, follows the two-year investigation to capture what some have described as “the most notorious serial arsonist in U.S. history.” Kara McGuirk-Allison, executive producer, introduces listeners to the talented team of investigators who dedicated 22 months of their lives to bring the arsonist to justice. A seasoned journalist, McGuirk-Allison did the background research, conducted the interviews, put together the story and is the voice of “Arson.” The podcast is riveting with details never before shared. It takes listeners through the crime scenes with detectives as they recount how they collected evidence while working against the clock to try to capture the arsonist before another tragedy.
The case brings together arson investigators, community firefighters, homicide detectives, law enforcement throughout the DMV and ATF. An official task force was created based in Prince Georges County and run by the ATF Baltimore field office. Eventually, it involved 15 agencies across the DMV. McGuirk-Allison describes season one—"It’s a story of dedication, of frustration and victories that culminates into an eventual win for law enforcement and the community, but not after much destruction and tragedy.”
Tom Daley, an ATF arson investigator (now retired), was brought into the case early on. He recounts in episode one of the podcast how he had been assigned to work at the Pentagon in 2001 following the 9-11 attack; then he was assigned to Montgomery County, Md. to work on locating the “Beltway Sniper.” On the heels of the snipers in 2003, a serial arsonist in the D.C. area began lighting fires to doors and porches of homes while residents slept. Daley was assigned to investigate. He spent hours at various locations throughout the DMV over a two-year span, gathering evidence that eventually brought the arsonist to justice. Fires numbered in the hundreds and lives were lost.
“Arson impacts communities throughout the nation with an incalculable cost in lives and property,” said Brice McCracken, acting special agent in charge of ATF’s National Center for Explosives Training and Research, who directs ATF’s fire investigation and arson enforcement training programs. “ATF’s relationships with its state and local partners allow it to combine resources and expertise to solve these violent acts.”
To stream the podcast visit: www.iaaiarson.com or wherever you listen to your podcasts.
For more information on IAAI, visit www.firearson.com.
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About the International Association of Arson Investigators
The International Association of Arson Investigators is an international professional association of more than 10,000 fire investigation professionals, united by a strong commitment to suppress the crime of arson through professional fire investigation. Learn more at www.firearson.com.
About the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
ATF is the federal agency primarily responsible for administering and enforcing federal laws pertaining to arson and explosives. More information about ATF and their mission to investigate arson can be found at: https://www.atf.gov/arson.
