[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 73 (Thursday, May 4, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Page S6188]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                          ARSON AWARENESS WEEK

 Mr. ROTH. Mr. President, this is Arson Awareness Week. In the 
time it will take me to finish my first sentence, arson fires will 
destroy at least $600 worth of property in this country. That is an 
annual cost of more than $2 billion. And while in recent years arson 
has accounted for just over 15 percent of building fires, it has 
accounted for more than 30 percent of the dollar loss.
  This, Mr. President, is a problem we all pay for. We pay for it in 
higher property insurance premiums and in higher taxes.
  Analysis of 1987 to 1991 fires by the National Fire Protection 
Association found that residential arson averaged a cost of $14,000 per 
fire. Fires set in stores, offices, and restaurants averaged a cost of 
$30,000 per fire. And arson fires in manufacturing sites averaged more 
than $65,000.
  Beyond the obvious economic costs associated with homes and 
businesses lost to arson, there is a severe social consequence. In many 
cases the remnants from acts of arson end up as hangouts and havens for 
drug dealers, prostitutes, and other criminal elements. Put simply, 
arson breeds crime in more ways than one, contributing to fear and 
frustration, especially in our Nation's cities.
  Finally--and more importantly--we pay for the heinous crime of arson 
in a way that cannot be measured--a loss that is beyond monetary 
considerations. This, of course, is the loss of life. Every year, Mr. 
President, more than 700 people--men, women, and children--die in arson 
fires. Beyond the deaths, there are the tortured survivors, people who 
often end up physically or emotionally scarred.
  National Arson Awareness Week sponsored by the International 
Association of Arson Investigators begins the week of May 1. It serves 
to remind us of one of the more notorious and unfortunate chapters in 
recent American history, the series of devastating fires set over 3 
days in Los Angeles in 1992. May 1 is the anniversary of the day those 
fires ended. It is my sincere hope that by focusing on the tragedy that 
is always, in one way, associated with arson, we can minimize, and even 
bring an end to this horrible crime.
  As we focus attention on arson, we will better understand who sets 
fires and under what circumstances. Based on arson arrests, juveniles 
set approximately half of arson fires, usually as a way to commit 
vandalism. However, my definition of juveniles is broader than just 
teenagers. Of those arrested, 6 percent are under 10 years old.
  However, it is the adult arsonists who are the most sophisticated and 
who cause the greater amount of destruction. Revenge often serves as a 
motive for their arson. In 1990, in New York City, a man who was angry 
with his girlfriend, set fire to the restaurant where she worked. The 
end result was the death of 87 people turning his hateful act into the 
second-deadliest fire of the past 30 years.
  What is being done to reduce the threat of arson? Many things.
  Insurance companies report information on suspicious fires to the 
Property Insurance Loss Register, a national database, which police and 
fire officials use to investigate fires and prosecute arsonists. While 
this is not a recent development, increased use will pay bigger 
dividends as the amount of information in the database grows.
  Also, firefighters have long received training in arson detection. 
Some even specialize in the field. They are highly trained and skilled 
in determining a fire's origin.
  Recently, dogs have also assumed a new role, the role of a fire 
investigator's best friend. These specially trained dogs are sometimes 
able to sniff out what started a fire, such as gasoline, when human 
investigators cannot.
  I am encouraged by the progress and the dedicated men and women who 
dedicate themselves to our safety. Arson Awareness Week is one way we 
can demonstrate our gratitude and encourage the rest of America to join 
us in fighting this destructive and pointless crime.


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