Arson for Profit - Arson Awareness Week May 3 to 9

Arson is defined by Webster’s Dictionary as “the willful or malicious burning of a property (as a building) especially with criminal or fraudulent intent.”

As a fire fighter, arson is defined as “an unnecessary fire and a crime.” Law enforcement defines arson as a crime.

This coming week, the United States Fire Administration, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the International Association of Arson Investigators, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), and a number of insurance groups are trying to raise the public’s awareness about this staggering problem.

You didn’t hear that this was a problem? Here are some numbers from the NFPA for 2005: --323,900 arson fires--490 civilian deaths--3 fire fighter deaths--1,500 civilian injuries--7,600 fire fighter injuriesMoreover, here is the price tag--$1.102 BILLION in direct property damage.

Every year there are almost 2,000 people killed in fires. More than a quarter of those deaths are the result of someone deliberately setting fires for sinister purposes. The next leading cause of death in fires is due to smoking.

The crime that is committed is not hidden, or burned away. Fires burn a certain way. Fire fighters study this behavior and the different factors that can affect them. Fires will move in specific patterns. These patterns are determined by nature and physics. It is the basis that fire fighters are able to fight fires. When an arsonist tries to mimic nature, they often leave only clues. If someone can think of burning a material to start a fire, it has been done in a lab or as part of a training program to train arson investigators. Any liquid or solid that rapidly burns and is used as an accelerant can be detected. Dogs are amazing at finding these clues. Chemical analysis of materials will also reveal the cause of a fire. It may not be CSI: Miami or some other Hollywood concept, but arsonists need to understand, fire is the business of fire fighters who know how this almost living thing acts. Fire fighters can recognize within seconds of entering a home if there is a suspicious nature to the fire. It cannot simply be burned away.

People have given many reasons for why they committed this crime. Many times, it has to do with financial issues. This is unfortunate, as many people will make this panicked and mistaken decision only to find the consequences are much worse. A couple in Connecticut learned that a Christmas arson to collect on homeowners insurance only left their children without parents, and the mother looking at 5 years in prison, and the father facing 15 years. Once they are released, it is likely they will have to repay the insurance payouts, and possibly the mortgage they tried to flee. This will amount to more than a half million dollars. Add in another hundred thousand dollars for their criminal defense, and they will be paupers the rest of their lives. And the kids? So much for college or any other happy holiday memories-gone for the simple fact of panic and greed.

Automobile “giveups” are another source of arson. The statics vary with the source, but it is a problem. A panicked person will make this bad decision without remembering physics. Cars and trucks burn for any number of reasons that are documented and reproducible. The arsonist hopes that because it is only a vehicle, the investigation will be less intense. This is a wrong assumption. Insurance adjusters have the advantage of time to determine the cause of an automobile fire. A home needs to be cleared up after a fire due to the potential public safety hazard. A burned out vehicle is towed to a secure area where forensic mechanics can take their time and find a bolt that is recently turned, a tube that is cut, a part that was newly installed to determine the cause of the fire

The bottom line on all of this is simple for everyone. We all know people who may be facing hard financial times. People generally will not ask for help. The first sign of trouble may be the flames and smoke coming from their property. If we see our friends or neighbors going through their belongings and giving away valuable items, moving newer furniture out of their home while moving used furniture in, leaving as a family at strange times as if practicing an escape, making comments that are out of character or acting very nervous when they otherwise would not be, are all signs that some event may be on the horizon. We all need to act.

A good friend or neighbor will step in to stop that decision for arson. A foreclosed home or a repossessed car are events from which a person can recover. Their family will be uncomfortable, but they will be together and survive. The government has assistance in many forms that may help them. Pride may be the thing that keeps people from seeking that assistance. A kind word and a strong shoulder may be the thing that helps them find it.

If a person finds himself or herself in a financial problem, seek help. Many organizations can help them find answers. Only through a concerted community effort can these fires be reduced. Too many times neighborhoods are in the “not my business” mode, when we all need to be “our brother’s keeper.”

Stay fire safe, and thanks for reading

For more info: National Fire Protection Association, www.nfpa.org, United States Fire Administration, www.usfa.dhs.gov/fireservice/subjects/arson/arson_awareness.shtm