Arson Is a Seirous Problem in the United States

Among the various types of forensic/criminalist disciplines, this research intends to convey knowledge on one of the many varied specialties of forensic analysis known as arson, fire and explosives. The forensic investigation of arson, fire and explosives is a very collaborated approach. “Arson investigators have two immediate objectives: (1) to determine exactly where, at the scene, the fire began and (2) what caused the fire to ignite. Explosives investigators need to know the same fundamental information as they probe the destruction of buildings, airplanes, and cars” (Harmon, 2008:6). First, each forensic application must be defined to gain a greater understanding of the discipline as a whole. “Arson is the willful and malicious burning of any property for an improper or illegal purpose. By definition, it’s intentional” (J. Ford, 2014:7). In order to produce a fire three ingredients must be present at the same times, which are oxygen, fuel and heat. According to the Haynes (2015:1) “U.S. fire departments responded to an estimated 1,298,000 fires in 2014. Also, “during 2007-2011, an estimated 282,600 intentional fires were reported to U.S. fire departments each year, with associated annual losses of 420 civilian deaths, 1,360 civilian injuries, and $1.3 billion in direct property damage”. In the addition to arson and fire, explosives, have recently became one of the most tragic and alarming events.

As the differences between Legacy (circa 1950-1970) and Modern fires (circa 1980-2017) are explored, one must examine and answer a few questions. When is oxidation not combustion? When is combustion not oxidation? What is the basic mechanism of fire spread? How does legacy fires differ from modern fires in fire growth? These questions and the findings associated directly correlate to the study and findings of multiple controlled lab experiments conducted by the Underwriters Laboratories (UL) in 2012. Underwriters Laboratories is a global, non-profit safety organization. UL tests, certifies, verifies, inspects, audits, advises and educates in many markets.

According to Alfred Manes, the majority of belongings insurance crimes involve arson.[37] One reason for this is that any evidence that a hearth changed into started by arson is regularly destroyed via the hearth itself. According to the USA Fire Administration, in the United States there have been approximately 31,000 fires as a result of arson in 2006, ensuing in losses of $755 million.[38] For example, the Moulin Rouge Hotel in Las Vegas was struck by way of arson twice within six

Although it may seem like laws aren't easily passed, and that we should hear about them when they are passed this is however not the case. In reality, about 758 bills get turned into laws each year, most going unnoticed by the public. For instance, many people are presumably unaware that as of March 27th in 2013, because of the supporters like Senator Bob Peterson, Ohio instigated an official database for arsonists titled “To establish a registry for arson offenders.”. While this may not seem like a significant thing to have, many bills passed are similar in gravity. Like all laws, it was first drafted as a bill and then introduced to congress. Secondly, the bill was sent to the committee and then the house for review. After that, the

Much like all events and natural phenomena that pose a threat to civilization, humans have learned to cope with and prevent the loss of human life and destruction of property in devastating blazes that can break out seemingly at random. Fighting fires was not always the science it is today, but due to the use of new technologies and the fundamental understanding of what fire is, how it spreads, how it can kill, and how it is stopped, our protocol when dealing with fires has increased our success rate and continues to grow with applications of engineering, chemistry, and meteorology.

The definition of arson is the criminal act of purposely setting a fire to property. To a crime scene investigator arson is one of the most difficult things to investigate for many different reasons. For starters a fire can take a long time to burn and before any sort of investigation can be done the fire as to be well and truly out without any chance of it starting back up again. Usually when someone commits the crime of arson the suspect has planned ahead and is gone before the fire is done burning so it becomes a challenge to try to determine who has done it. Another problem that many investigators have is that fire can cause extensive damage to the building that it is set in, which could be dangerous for anyone who goes in there if the building becomes unstable, and it can cause a lot of the forensic evidence to burn away. Along with trying to establish a suspect for the crime it is also hard for investigators to establish a motive because there could be many different reasons to why someone would commit arson. Like revenge, anger, and the few who just like to see things burn. The problem with arson however is that it is hard to determine whether or not the fire was really arson and purposely set or if the fire was accidental. A fire can be started many different ways and it has many accidental causes. That is what many investigators have to consider, all the factors of a fire or explosion. Fire investigators have a harder time trying to investigate a fire scene because

The dissent by the Boston College Environmental Affairs Law Review, summarizes basically the issue of administrative searches (1990). Indeed, arson can be assigned to both civil and criminal penalties because arson is an action done with malice forethought to either endanger the lives of others or to one's property. Overall, such intention is a means to an end and is not due to the failure of an electric wiring or failure of a failed fire safety inspection. Thus, "an administrative warrant suffices" for the purpose of finding the origin of the fire that may or may have not been caused by arson (Michigan v. Clifford, 1984).

The first things you should do when demonstrating what writing order for the arson unit is knowing how the personal items for each and every arson investigator should have on them. Besides, every arson investigator should have personal items made available to them to carry and that includes protective clothing such as hardhats, fire resistant overalls, steel-capped boots, thick gloves, and a face mask. Supplies of gas and electricity should be switched off before the investigation begins. When specializing in these items for arson investigators to carry you should have certain types of containers that will not alter the chemical properties of the accelerants and shatterproof eye shields protecting them from the fire debris. “Teach and practice

David C. Billings received an academic 4.0 on his Applied Research Project (ARP) “EMS Under Fire” (EUF), a document he submitted to the National Fire Academy’s Executive Officer Program (EFOP). Grading of this excellence demonstrates the focus, and in-depth detail applied to the research and data generated by the author of this paper. When compared to “The Elements of a Proposal” a guide to a perfect report by Frank Pajares, David Billings accurately fulfills each step noted by Pajares “The Elements of a Proposal.”(Pajares, n.d., p. 1)

Having the technology that distinguishes fire as quickly as possible preventing massive damage is a priority that many understand. Fire is unpredictable on where it will happen and occur. Having the technologies that can fight it is important because without it a firefighter will have a harder time overcoming obstacles to eradicate the fire. Now in our modern world firefighters are able to extinguish fires quickly, but heading back in time firefighters didn’t have very advance resources to fight fires which lead to massive damage to buildings and even the destruction of some. Firefighters have come a long way on preventing fires and saving lives by advancing through fire technology by them doing so we have become a better society knowing that they have the available resources to take on the challenge on keeping us safe. Overall, many people do not agree on firefighters having such advance technology. Many will argue that tax dollars shouldn’t be invested in it because it is a waste of money and people will not agree that taxpayers should be paying for this

Having worked in insurance for much of my life, I have attended many different house fires and remain amazed at the rapid destruction that can happen. The aftermath

Arson investigations are considered to be some of the most complex and strenuous criminal investigations to conduct. Dating back to the eighteenth-century arson was originally defined as the “malicious and willing burning of the houses or outhouse of another man” by British jurist Sir William Blackstone (Lushbaugh, 2009, Ch.14) The definition of arson has evolved with the advancement in technology and science. Arson is now defined as “the willful or malicious burning or attempting to burn, with or without intent to defraud, a dwelling, house, public building, motor vehicle or aircraft, personal property, of another, etc. (Brandl, 2017, Ch.13).” Fires are considered to be arson when the origin is not certain or if it appears to be suspicious.

While arson is defined as the intentional and malicious setting of fire to a building, land, a vehicle, or other property with the intent to cause damage, arson for profit is the intentional and malicious setting of fire for financial again, often with the intent to commit insurance fraud (U.S. Fire Administration, 2009. The scope of arson for profit ranges from individuals using arson to escape an unwanted car loan to business ventures that buy property for the sole purpose of burning them to collect the insurance (U.S. Fire Administration, 2009). The end results of these types of insurance scams can generate over one billion in annual insurance pay-outs (U.S. Fire Administration, 2009). Arson for profit also results in “lost housing, tax dollars, and jobs, and more costly government services” (Goetz, 1997, p. 562).

Inciardi (1970) developed six motives for arson; revenge, insurance claim, excitement (pyromania), instintusionalised (arson in a mental health

“Arson has grown for beyond its origins in burning houses to include burning almost any kind of building, vessel, or vehicle” (Samaha, 2017).