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The effects of arson
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Arson is “any willful or malicious burning or attempt to burn, with or without intent to defraud, a dwelling house, public building, motor vehicle or aircraft, [or] personal property of another” (Bartol & Bartol, 2011. P 463). Arson comes in many forms – juveniles vandalizing property, businesses trying to collect insurance money, and murderers covering up their crimes are just a few of the examples arson investigators deal with. The reasons why arson is committed and the psychology behind arson are as diverse as the crime itself. There is no one perfect psychological profile of an arsonist. Young, old, educated, illiterate, sane, insane, rich and poor all can become arsonists. With such a wide range of suspect characteristics, investigating arson is not an easy job, and it becomes more difficult with the knowledge that much evidence can be destroyed in arson.
Who commits arson? According to some studies between 75 and 85 percent of all arsons are set by males (Bartol & Bartol). According to the UCR, of all the arsons committed in 2009, individuals under the age of 18 committed 34.7% of those where arrests were made and the cases were cleared. Juveniles are most likely to set arsons for the reasons of vandalism, excitement or to seek attention (Douglas, et al, 2006). Those juveniles who continue to commit arson into adulthood were often punished by fire or heat as a child, and may see fire as an acceptable form of retaliation (Bartol & Bartol).
Adults more than likely most frequently set fires for monetary gain – such as insurance fraud but other reasons also abound (Bartol & Bartol). Revenge, vandalism, crime concealment or diversion, intimidation, terrorism, and sabotage are all reasons why fires are set. Many of th...
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.... Retrieved from http://cumming.patch.com/articles/jill-smith-accused-of-killing-husband-a-no-show-in-court
Komarnitsky, S. J. (2008, December 16). Accelerant poured around Palin's church. Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved from http://www.adn.com/2008/12/15/ 623876/accelerant-poured-around-palins.html
LeDuc, V. E. (2005, September 12). "Serial arsonist" Thomas Sweatt sentenced to life in prison for setting 45 residential fires in Maryland, District of Columbia and Virginia: Fires resulted in two deaths [Press release]. Retrieved Sept 24th, 2011, from US Department of Justice website: http://www.justice.gov/usao/md/Public-Affairs/press_releases/press05/SweattSentencePR.pdf
Scarborough, S. (2006, December 22). Killer tried to use arson to cover up 1993 slaying. Arizona Central. Retrieved from http://www.azcentral.com/specials/ special14/articles/1222coldcase1222.html
The Triangle Shirtwaist Fire not only affected the city of New York, but also the rest of the country. It forever changed the way our country would look at safety regulations in factories and buildings. The fire proved to America what can and will happen if we over-look safety regulations and over-crowd buildings. Unfortunately, 146 lives are taken before we fully understand this concept.
In West Warwick Rhode Island, on February 20th, 2003, during the performance of the band Great White, a fire broke out that eventually claimed the lives of 100 people and injured an additional 200. The band’s tour manager arranged for, and ignited pyrotechnic props, large fireworks designed to display a shower of sparks. The sparks ignited foam soundproofing near stage. The fire spread quickly. Most were killed either in the crush to exit the building or overcome by fumes while trying to find an exit. The immediate cause was well documented due to witness reports and a videotape that was taken during the concert. In the period that followed the tragedy there were many attempts to fix blame. Following a Grand Jury investigation, several of the parties involved plead guilty to violations of the law and served or are currently sentences in prison.
On March 25, 1911, 146 garment factory workers their lives in a fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York City. In less than an hour, these workers died from asphyxiation, burns, or jumping to their deaths in a futile attempt at escape (McGuire, 2011). The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory the eighth through tenth floors of New York City’s Asch building, and employed approximately 700 workers, 500 of them young women and girls (McGuire, 2011). A fire quickly broke out on the eighth floor shortly before the end of the work day. Loose fabric was strewn about the floor and stuffed under equipment, providing kindling for the fire to quickly become an inferno. As women attempted to exit, they were met with locked doors and forced to find other means of escape, including jumping from the eight floor windows, climbing down elevator cables, and scampering down the fire escape - each route of escape tragically failed, costing many their lives. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire is an example of how quickly dangerous and neglectful conditions can quickly take many lives, but it has also served as the impetus for great changes in workplace and fire safety codes and regulations, including the development of Fire Safety Codes, implementation of state-based worker’s compensation laws, and the formation of New York State’s Industrial Code. The impacts of these changes and many others are still felt today, more than 100 years later. There is, however, still work to be done in the area of workplace fire safety, as evidenced in the Kader Toy Factory fire and the Imperial Chicken Processing Plant fire.
Life may be confusing to you when your job is to commit arson to any house
...ire scenes. The case of Tight Shoes Inc. seems to be pretty obvious as I read it, but I can’t image an arson fire that is not obvious. Interviewing the right people and asking the right questions is just as important if not more than finding physical evidence. Being a people’s person and coaxing the right responses is an under stated in the job title of fire investigator. After following the five steps of comprehensive incendiary investigation and finding and asking the right questions to the interviewee will help secure a solid case against an arsonist.
Sheetz 1 Sarah Sheetz Ms. Rosenberger English 4 October 17, 2016 Faulkner’s Self Help Book In “Barn Burning,” Faulkner illustrates a boy’s coming to age story, including his struggle in choosing whether to stand by in the midst of his father’s destructive cycle of spiteful burning or stand up for his own belief in civic duty. While most readers do not relate to having a father that habitually burns others’ belongings in a strange power scheme, readers relate to the struggle between blood ties and their own values. Taking the theme even broader, readers relate to any struggle with making a decision. Through imagery, reoccurring motifs, and diction, Faulkner creates an intense pressure which enhances readers understanding of Sarty, his struggle,
Arson dogs are proving themselves to be a valuable asset to the arson investigators. Arson dogs are being used more each year by investigators and as well as private companies. Who do investigate for insurance companies. The use of a dog is to help pinpoint the location of where the fire started and what caused it. The dog reduces the number of samples that need to be collected and sent to be tested. This saves time and money. The dogs are trained to scent out a variety of chemicals used in a fire. Such as gas, lighter fluid, charcoal started, diesel. Kerosene, alcohol, brake fluid, paint thinner, and many more.
How long have you played Arson?: I have not been playing Arson for that long, I have been playing as a player since the beginning of map seven, but I staffed for all of map eight of Hardcore factions.
Arsonist poured ignitable liquid on a windowsill and attempted to light liquid on an apartment building on 33 North Main Street, Gainesville. DNA evidence found.
Nickell, Joe. "Investigative Files: Not-So-Spontaneously Human Combustion." Skeptical Inquirer. Nov./Dec. 1996: 17-20. 21 Feb. 2001.
Throughout recorded history, fires have been known to cause great loss of life, property, and knowledge. The Great Fire of London was easily one of the worst fires mankind has ever seen causing large scale destruction and terror. Samuel Pepys described the fire as “A most malicious bloody flame, as one entire arch of fire of above a mile long… the churches, houses and all on fire and flaming at once, and a horrid noise the flames made.” (Britain Express 1).
Although there are many reasons that motivate serial arsonists to start fires, there are six motives that are by far the most common. These six motives are excitement, vandalism, revenge, concealment of a crime, profit, and terrorism. Serial arsonists that set fires for excitement are usually seeking for attention in their lives. This may be someone who does not receive enough attention and might be considered an outsider in a crowd. Most often, these serial arsonists will set these fires in a location in which may be familiar to them. They also may remain at the scene while the fire is still burning to watch everyone’s reaction to the fire, giving the serial arsonist the satisfaction of attention. Serial arsonists that set fires for vandalism are usually younger, juvenile offenders who may often be associated with a gang. Serial arsonists who start fires for revenge are usually considered the most dangerous as they are most often seeking deadly consequences for those who have done them wrong. Serial arsonists
Investigating an arson is very difficult because fires tend to destroy evidence and firefighters while fighting the blaze will move things around and destroy even more evidence. Once an investigation is open for an arson, investigators need to find the source of heat and the material ignited in order to determine if it was a set fire. The two most important question investigators will ask is where and how did the fire start? When a fire has multiple starting points that should raise the level of suspicion and dictate if the fire was purposely set. Other preliminary steps to take is for investigators to find ignition devices. These devices can be gasoline, chemicals, matches, or other types of accelerants. Accelerants also known as boosters speeds of the process of a fire by adding to the initial fire for the fire to burn rapidly and increase the intensity. Firefighter and law enforcement can look for melted metals or similar materials. This can mean that accelerants were used because metals usually burn at about 3,000*F. The most important thing for law enforcement and fire fighters when suspecting an arson is to not move and contaminate any physical evidence. The first thing they should secure is any harm or injuries and clear
Though they were not wanted, “Fires were not uncommon in seventeenth-century London” (Cowie, 59). Fires weren’t the only things that London residents worried about though. In 1665 a tragedy known as the Black Plague had occurred and killed many people in the city and though the plague was gone “People continued to fear another outbreak of plague for the rest of the seventeenth century” (Cowie, 56-57). The Great Fire of London was a tragedy that destroyed a whole city and scared all the people who inhabited it. Just as the city was recovering from the Great Plague, the inhabitants had to flee the city once again- this time not as a result of a disease, but the result of a human accident (“The Great Fire of London of 1666”, 1).
...r it is arson, an uncontrolled camp fire, or a cigarette butt it doesn’t take much for humans to spark a disaster. Yet there is as well a few set by good old Mother Nature. On top of the effects on the earth as well as humans, there is only one thing we all can do and that is listen to our old pal Smokey the Bear when he says, “only you can prevent wildfire.”