Arson Facts

1. Arson takes a devastating toll on people and property in every Northwest community.
2. According to the National Fire Protection Association, nationally, arson kills more than 300 people each year and injures thousands.
3. We all feel the effects of arson. Arson that damages or destroys businesses starts a chain reaction of events that burden communities economically through unemployment, higher insurance premiums and reduced taxes needed to support schools, local government and other important community services.
4. An Insurance Research Council study suggests about 14 percent of arson suspects are motivated by a desire to defraud an insurance company.
5. Arsonists set fires that destroyed $792 million worth of property nationwide in 2009. These fires include factories, residential buildings, churches and motor vehicles, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).
6. In 2009 the average loss value per arson offense was $17,411, according to the Insurance Information Institute. Arson involving structures (residential, storage, public, etc.) accounted for 44 percent of the total number of arson offenses.
7. Vandalism is the leading cause of arson. Between 20 and 25 percent of arson fires are drug related.
8. Children are responsible for more than one-third of the arson fires set in the United States. In 2009, 34.7 percent of the people arrested for arson were under the age of 18.
9. Arson is a difficult crime to solve because much of the evidence is destroyed in an arson fire. In 2009, only 18.7 percent of all arson cases resulted in arrest.

Sources: FBI, National Fire Protection Association, Insurance Research Council, Insurance Information Institute