Maryland Fire Marshal Says Goodbye to K9 Zorro
State of MD - The Office of the State Fire Marshal is saying goodbye to Zorro, a retired canine who spent his career sniffing out fire scenes across the state. Zorro died on July 26.
Zorro spent more than eight years working side by side with his handler, Deputy Chief State Fire Marshal John Nelson. The pair answered calls not just in Maryland, but also in Pennsylvania, Delaware, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.
One of their cases took them to the White House. Zorro's nose for ignitable liquids also played a part in a number of arson arrests and convictions over the years.
Beyond fire scenes, Zorro became a familiar sight at schools, camps, and community events around the state. People got to know him through public demonstrations and open houses, where he showed off the skills that made him so good at his job.
Born in Mexico, Zorro was a black Labrador retriever. His path to a working dog career started at Puppies Behind Bars in New Jersey, a program that lets incarcerated individuals raise and train service and working dogs.
From there, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives picked him for its Accelerant Detection Canine Program. He and Nelson teamed up in 2016 and finished ATF Accelerant Detection Canine Class #117 together that December.
His training taught him to pick up on trace amounts of gasoline, kerosene, lighter fluid, and other ignitable liquids. Finding those substances at a scene can be a sign that a fire was set on purpose.
A photo taken during Zorro's training days ended up going far beyond that classroom. A classmate of Nelson's caught Zorro locked in on a scent, and the image is now on display at the ATF National Canine Training Center in Front Royal, Virginia.
Nelson hand-fed Zorro every meal as part of his food-reward training. By Nelson's count, that added up to more than 130,000 rewards across their eight years as partners.
"For the last 18 years, a working dog has been part of my life, and the bond you develop with these dogs is difficult to put into words," Nelson said. "Zorro was truly one of a kind. He loved working, never met anyone he didn't like, and had a personality that made him unforgettable. Some of my greatest memories will always be watching him interact with children and families at community events. I will forever be grateful for the experiences, friendships, and memories Zorro gave my family and me. He was my partner, but more importantly, he was part of our family."
Zorro hung up his working collar on December 31, 2024. He lived out the rest of his life at home with Nelson's family.
Charlie, Nelson's first Accelerant Detection Canine, came before Zorro. Charlie served from 2008 to 2016 and passed away in 2018.
"Zorro's service cannot be measured only by the number of fire scenes he worked or the cases he helped investigators solve," said Acting State Fire Marshal Jason M. Mowbray. "Anyone who has worked alongside a K-9 team understands they are more than investigative tools. They are partners, members of our agency family, and, most importantly, members of their handler's family. Our hearts are with John and his family as they say goodbye to a loyal partner."
