Arson Awareness Week Focuses on Community Prevention
More than 316,000 arsons occur annually in the U.S.
Published May 4, 2010
Community arson prevention is the theme of this year's Arson Awareness Week, which takes place May 2 through May 8.
More than 316,000 arsons occur annually in the U.S., according to a study by the National Fire Protection Association. Each year, they cause hundreds of civilian deaths and create over $1 billion in property damage.
Arson is a very difficult crime to prevent, Columbia Fire Department Capt. Eric Hartman said. Citizens can help deter it simply by being vigilant.
Last year, four intentionally set fires in Columbia caused almost $200,000 in damage. Hartman said several other fires might have been intentionally set as well.
"Unfortunately, (arson) is more common than many people realize," he said. "It's not a leading fire cause, but certainly it's more prevalent than people realize."
The Boone County Fire Protection District investigated 39 fires last year and found 10 of them to be arson, Division Chief Gale Blomenkamp said.
"We've seen two fires that we would call intentionally set fires in Boone County in our fire district this year," Blomenkamp said.
The Fire Protection District covers 500 square miles of Boone County that are not under the jurisdiction of CFD.
Arson can be prosecuted as a class A felony if someone is injured or killed, Boone County Assistant Prosecutor Roger Johnson said. It is also a class A felony if the fire was a result of methamphetamine production.
CFD asks its fire crews to preserve the scenes of fires for the purpose of property conservation and salvage, Hartman said.
"But we ask them that if they discover any evidence that a fire may have been intentionally set, that they be extra diligent in leaving that evidence in place until our investigator can get there and observe it and document it," Hartman said.
The police aid in an arson investigation if CFD requests their assistance, Columbia Police Department Detective Corey Bowden said. They help with interviews and follow-up investigations in a team effort with the CFD Marshall's division.
In the case of an intentionally set fire, CFD investigators interview the building occupants and other witnesses, Hartman said. They also examine the scene, sifting through rubble for evidence of the cause of the fire.
Blomenkamp said signs of forced entry and the pour pattern of a flammable liquid are both signs of arson. He said the Boone County Fire Protection District rules out other fire causes, such as cigarettes or candles before investigating arson.
"We rule fires either accidental or intentional, and then we go from there," Blomenkamp said.
Most arson in Columbia is motivated by insurance or financial fraud, Hartman said. A stranger setting another stranger's property on fire is very rare.
Someone setting their own property on fire is not a crime itself, as long as they have complete ownership of the building, Johnson said. Burning an insured building is actually the crime of property damage.