NFPA releases arson statistics
Incendiary and suspicious fires in structures declined in 1993 to the lowest level in the 17 years the organization has been studying these fires, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Despite the drop, however, arson (and suspected arson) remains the primary cause of property damage due to fire in the United States and the second leading cause of building fire deaths, the NFPA points out.
Arson-related fire losses in buildings and vehicles were up 15.3 percent in 1993, totaling $2,488 billion. The figure was substantially affected by three large-loss incidents, including the World Trade Center bombing. Incendiary and suspicious structure fires killed 560 civilians (nonfirefighters) in 1993.
Among other information contained in the report, U.S. Arson Trends and Patterns, is the following:
Juveniles (under age 18) accounted for 49 percent of all arson arrests and 44 percent of all arson offenses solved by arrest in 1993. Nearly one-third of all arson arrestees were under age 15. The statistics do not include fires due to fireplay (those set by children too young to understand the consequences of their actions).
Based on combined NFPA survey and U.S. Department of Justice studies, an estimated two percent of set fires lead to convictions. Only a third of set fires are confirmed as incendiary and therefore treated as crimes. About 80 to 85 percent of fires confirmed as incendiary are never solved by arrest; when they are, half of the suspects are not prosecuted. About two-thirds of those prosecuted are convicted.
Dr. John R. Hall, Jr., the report`s author and the assistant vice president of fire analysis and research at the NFPA, noted that even though the incidence of arson may be rising in some individual communities, the national long-term trend is downward.
