About Hot Pursuit | A Fire Investigations True Crime Podcast
Join hosts OCFA Fire Captain/Investigator Scott Kuhlman and Sophia Champieux as they take you behind the scenes of Orange County's most compelling fire investigations. From arson to accidental blazes, twice a month we'll explore a new case that uncovers the science, intuition, and human stories behind the flames. Through interviews with experts, fire investigators, law enforcement, and forensic specialists, Hot Pursuit offers an insider's look at how these mysterious and often chilling fires are solved. Discover the untold stories that rise from the ashes, one fire at a time.
Executive Producer: Kevin Hansen
Hosts: Sophia Champieux & Scott Kuhlman
We welcome back Investigators Strohm and McCulloch as they seek public assistance to solve a two-year-old arson case at an auto business in Santa Ana. Initial investigation revealed suspicious circumstances like an unlocked door and a car filled with tools, leading to the discovery of an acetone can and an alert from a K-9 unit in the heavily damaged office, the suspected origin of the fire. Subsequent investigation, including video evidence showing the suspect pouring liquid and brandishing...
4 Apr 2025
BONUS EPISODE – The Inside Job (Part 2)
This week, we’re bringing you something special – a bonus episode that revisits one of our most gripping cases: ‘The Inside Job.’ But this time, we’re hearing it straight from the fire investigator who helped crack it wide open. Retired Fire Investigator Bill Lackey takes us inside the investigation of a serial arsonist and burglar who targeted not just homes and businesses—but fire stations and firefighters themselves. With multiple fires, stolen equipment, and a trail of destruction stretc...
21 Mar 2025
Two for the Price of One
This podcast episode of "Hot Pursuit" details two distinct arson investigations conducted by the Orange County Fire Authority. The first story recounts a residential fire in Garden Grove and the second investigation involves a series of vegetation fires along a freeway and toll road in Irvine. Could these fires be linked? Keep listening to see how the story unfolds.
7 Mar 2025
The Inside Job
This episode of the "Hot Pursuit" explores a complex arson and burglary case involving multiple agencies and jurisdictions. We bring back a crowd favorite, Irvine PD Officer Justin Russell, as he discusses a series of intentionally set fires in Orange County and beyond. Are these fires linked to burglaries at fire stations? The case highlights the challenges of multi-jurisdictional investigations and the importance of inter-agency cooperation. Keep listening to see if it ends in an arrest of...
21 Feb 2025
Sunlight, Sanitizer, and Shenanigans
This episode of Hot Pursuit features Investigator Gillespie, who has been with the Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) since 2005 and in the Investigation Unit since 2019. Investigator Gillespie discusses two unique cases. The first case involves a fire at an auto shop in Garden Grove. The fire was initially reported as a commercial structure fire, but it was actually located in the parking lot and consisted of piles of cardboard. The second case involves 11 different fires that occurred ove...
7 Feb 2025
A Match to Remember
This episode of Hot Pursuit features a case investigated by Investigator McCulloch with the Orange County Fire Authority. The incident took place in April 2022, around 3:00 a.m. in the morning, when a vehicle fire was reported in a Walmart parking lot in Lake Forest. The fire was initially reported as a commercial structure fire, but upon arrival it was in fact a vehicle fire. Firefighters from Engine 54 responded and found that the fire damage was not in the engine compartment, which was un...
24 Jan 2025
Liar, Liar, Car on Fire
This episode of Hot Pursuit features a special guest, Officer Justin Russell. Officer Russell was embedded with the Orange County Fire Authority Investigations Division for seven years. He worked as a liaison between the Investigations Unit and local law enforcement partners, helping to bridge the gap between the two agencies and build a successful model for collaboration.This episode focuses on a case involving a vehicle fire that occurred in March of 2020. The vehicle, a 2012 Audi, wa...
27 Dec 2024
Always Trust Your Dog
Send us a textFire Investigator Shaun Miller joins Sophia and Scott to discuss a New Year’s Day arson case that was instrumental in the Orange County Fire Authority’s decision to get an accelerant detection K9. Initial reports were confusing, with conflicting information about possible victims. The Investigators discovered two separate points of origin for the fires, which immediately raised his suspicions. While investigating, Captain Miller was also alerted that were two missing women. An a...
20 Dec 2024
Someone Call the FBI - Part 2
Send us a textPicking up where they left off in the last episode, hosts Sophia Champieux and Scott Kuhlman continue their discussion of the 73 Arson case with Fire Investigator Bill Strohm. Strohm details how the investigation expanded to include collaboration with federal agencies like the ATF and FBI, adding another layer of complexity to the already multi-jurisdictional case. The episode dives deeper into the challenges of tracking down an arsonist targeting a busy highway, especially when...
20 Dec 2024
Someone Call the FBI - Part 1
Send us a textHosts Sophia Champieux and Scott Kuhlman introduce listeners to the Hot Pursuit podcast, a show that takes listeners behind the scenes of fire-related true crime cases of the Orange County Fire Authority Investigations Division. Fire Investigator Bill Strohm joins the hosts to explain how he became involved in the case and how he and other investigators initially believed the first three fires to be unrelated. Before the investigators could develop any solid leads, however, they...
19 Dec 2024
Hot Pursuit Season 1 Trailer
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Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
22 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
5 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 28 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
35
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
51
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