ELYRIA — Fire investigators took three samples Friday from the charred remains of a home at 114 Highland Court that burned in a suspected arson fire early Tuesday.

A Labrador specially trained to assist in arson investigations climbed onto the ruins, sniffed about and sat down three times, which is the alert signal for traces of accelerants, according to Shane Cartmill, a spokesman for the state fire marshal.

Acting Elyria Fire Marshal Kurt Blair and Capt. Carl Keith, the department’s training and safety officer, carefully obtained samples and placed them in evidence bags with the assistance of fire and explosives investigator Brian Peterman of the State Fire Marshal’s Office and Detective Hans Van Wormer from the Elyria Police Department.

The three samples found in the living room, hallway and hallway steps will be analyzed, which takes seven to 10 days, Cartmill said.

Dogs have a keen sense of smell and can alert investigators to a drop of accelerant such as gasoline or the residue remaining from accelerants, he said.

“The evidence almost always remains — it just changes form,” Cartmill said.

The Labrador is one of several used by the Fire Marshal’s office to investigate suspected arson, Cartmill said.

“The dog is not an investigator; it’s a tool the investigator uses,” he said.

Blair and Keith declined comment, except to say the fire remains under investigation.

Yolanda Panter, the homeowner, said she was pleased evidence apparently was found and the case is moving ahead.

“That makes me feel way better because they’re starting to get to the bottom of it,” said Panter, 74.

A fire Nov. 12 also damaged her home when she was away, and Panter said she won’t rebuild on Highland Court.

Police have responded to a number of complaints involving a neighbor. Panter fears that the fires might be connected to that dispute.

“I’m afraid of what would happen if we try — I don’t want to take a chance at someone else being hurt or myself being hurt,” she said.

An animal lover, Panter said she was impressed with the work of the Labrador, named Lacy.

“I have never seen that before, except on TV,” she said.

Several of Panter’s children and grandchildren, including her youngest daughter, Mary, watched the effort, which also drew a small crowd of neighbors.

Tuesday’s fire caused an estimated $85,000 damage to Panter’s home, according to preliminary estimates from the Fire Department.

At the home of George Rose and his wife, Sakeena Lozado, next door, there was $33,500 damage to the home and contents, and $2,500 in damage to a third home at 203 Gateway Blvd.

Meanwhile, neighbors are concerned because there have been six fires in four homes in the immediate area in the past year, and several have been ruled arson.

“I’m going to just keep an eye out and pretty much watch what’s going on,” said Doug Triplett, who lives across Gateway Boulevard from Panter. “What gets me is I didn’t see anything the night of the fire and I was up.”

Also, a $5,000 reward is offered for information leading to the arrest of whoever set two suspicious fires at a vacant home at 417 West River Road and a vacant home at 433 West River Road, said Fire Chief Richard Benton.

Panter said she gave the Fire Department permission to offer a $5,000 reward for the Highland Court fire if it is ruled arson.

Benton said the reward money comes from a pool set up by insurance companies eager to see arsonists brought to justice.

Rose, a meat cutter at Fligner’s Market, said he, his wife and their seven children had no rental insurance and are not sure where they will live after Sunday when the emergency assistance offered by the Lorain County Red Cross comes to an end. The Red Cross will help with the first month’s rent or the security deposit but not both, he said.

He said anyone who wants to help can donate to the George Rose House Fund at any Lorain National Bank Branch or on the bank’s Web site.

Contact Cindy Leise at 329-7245 or cleise@chroniclet.com.

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