Many individuals enjoy
making fires while camping or in their fireplaces during a cold winter
evening. Some may enjoy fire for the warmth it creates, the smell of burning
wood, or watching the beauty of the flames. Fire can have a calming effect
because the flames possess an almost hypnotic quality. Children often set
small fires while playing with matches, and although this can sometimes be
dangerous or deadly, it is usually accidental. However, for some
individuals, the sight of fire creates excitement and the urge to
intentionally set additional fires. When one intentionally sets fires, this
is a crime defined as arson, and there have been several motivations
indicated in the literature for this crime. This article will explore a few
of these motivations.
Economic Gain
There are two ways arson may benefit an individual economically and motivate
him or her to intentionally set a fire. An individual may obtain direct
economic gain from arson if he or she intentionally burns a house or
business for the insurance money. A person may also have an indirect
economic gain from arson by setting fire to a place of business, thus
eliminating the competition, creating additional profits for themselves.
Arson for economic gain in the examples provided is usually not repeated,
however when an individual is a professional "torch", the arson is for
economic gain, and will most likely be repeated by the individual in the
future.
Terrorism
As all of America learned on September 11, 2001, terrorists can use fire
created by crashing planes into symbolic buildings to make a statement.
Although this was extreme, intentional fires can also be set using more
conventional means for terrorism purposes. Historically, members of the Ku
Klux Klan (KKK) have used fire as a symbol for terrorizing others by burning
crosses in yards and setting fire to churches. These fires are set as a
threat to others, and as a form of intimidation. Others use arson and
terrorism tactics to pass judgment upon establishments deemed "immoral"
such as abortion clinics and brothels. These offenders believe that the
fires they set are for the betterment of society, the destruction of evil,
or the advancement of their ideals.
Revenge
As the name suggests, revenge motivated arsonists set fires as a form of
punishment toward those who have harmed them in the past. The perceived harm
may be real or imagined by the offender and he or she may choose to target
an individual or society as a whole. In instances when a single victim is
targeted, it is less likely that the offender will commit future arsons.
However, if society as a whole is the target of revenge, the offender may
develop a cycle similar to any serial offender.
Vanity
There are instances when an individual will intentionally set fires to
become a hero by saving the lives of victims from the fire they have
created. These offenders may be firefighters, fire investigators, or they
may simply be citizens desiring celebrity status.
Fire Buff
A fire buff is an arsonist that intentionally sets fires in order to watch
the firefighters and fire engines as they arrive at the scene. These
offenders may wish to be a firefighter or they may simply be excited by the
action of watching the struggle between man and fire. In any case, these
individuals love to watch the fires they start, and is a perfect example of
why investigators might take photographs of the crowd of people gathered at
the scene. This offender may also attempt to offer assistance to
firefighters at the crime scene or offer assistance with an investigation.
Concealment of Another Crime
Sometimes fires are set by offenders to destroy physical evidence and thus
conceal their crimes. There are many examples of attempts to burn victims
after being murdered, but in most cases it is very difficult to completely
destroy a body and investigators recognize the motivation for the fire.
References
Douglas, J.E, Burgess, A.W., Burgess, A.G., & Ressler, R.K. (1992). Crime
classification manual: A standard system for investigating and classifying
violent crimes. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Mavromatis, M. Serial arson: Repetitive firesetting and pyromania in
Schlesinger, L.B. (Editor) (2000). Serial offenders: Current thought,
recent findings. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.
E-mail your questions or suggestions to
Bryan Nelson
