THE skills of two new recruits to the Singapore Civil Defence Force - 'arson dogs' Max and Rex - are helping fire investigators here solve arson cases quickly.

Every year, about 1,500 fires are investigated by the Singapore Civil Defence Force's (SCDF) fire investigation branch, which looks into a fire when the origins of a blaze are less than clear.

Of these, approximately one in four - or 23 per cent - turn out to be arson.

Read Teh Joo Lin's story in Thursday's edition of The Straits Times.