Maryland State Fire Marshal

News Release
Martin OMalley Brian S. Geraci
Governor State Fire Marshal
GOVERNOR MARTIN OMALLEY PROCLAIMS
ARSON AWARENESS WEEK MAY 4 10, 2014
STATEWIDE (May 2, 2014) Governor Martin OMalley, the Office of the State Fire Marshal
and the US Fire !d"inistration are tea"in# $% once a#ain to %ro"ote arson a&areness thro$#ho$t
Maryland 'ational !rson !&areness (ee) has *een sched$led for May 4+10, 2014 ,he %$r%ose for
this &ee) is to address these costly fires and to ta)e ste%s to co"*at this heino$s cri"e ,his years
the"e is, Vehicle Arson A Combustible Crime.
! re%ort fro" the US Fire !d"inistration reveals that d$rin# 200- 2010, 14. of all fires in the
United States &ere vehicle fires Of these fires, /. &ere deter"ined to *e arson 0n 2011, Maryland la&
enforce"ent a#encies investi#ated 102 intentional vehicle fires acco$ntin# for nearly 3. of the re%orted
2,144 re%orted vehicle fires in the State
Motivations *ehind vehicle arsons are ty%ically5 6even#e, 7onceal"ent of a cri"e, 7$riosity,
89cite"ent, 0ns$rance fra$d and :andalis"
Revene + !ccordin# to the 'ational 7enter for the !nalysis of :iolent 7ri"e, the "ost co""on
"otive (41 %ercent) for a serial arsonist is reven#e !n arsonist &ill tar#et the ho"e of so"eone in
retaliation for an act$al or %erceived in;$stice a#ainst hi" or her ! car is vie&ed as an e9tension of the
individ$al and is a very %ersonal tar#et for reven#e arson
C!n"e#$%n #n!&'e( "(%)e + !rson is so"eti"es $sed to "as) or conceal another cri"e, s$ch
as "$rder ,he cri"inal sets the cri"e scene a*la<e, ho%in# that the victi"s death &ill *e attri*$ted to
the fire and not "$rder Other cri"es, s$ch as *$r#lary and larceny, are also co""only covered $% *y
an arson fire
=a#e 1 of 4
C*(%!+%&, + 7$riosity fires are "ost often set *y ;$veniles ,he "is$se of fire has "any
varia*les, incl$din# a#e, "otivation for firesettin# *ehavior, ty%e of fires set, i#nition "aterials $sed to
set the fires, and the childs *asic $nderstandin# of the li"itations of fire Firesettin# *ehavior is often
a sy"%to" of the %ro*le" and "ay *e ca$sed *y stress and crisis in childrens lives ,here can *e a
thrill fro" seein# a car in fla"es
E-"%&e)en& .Most e9cite"ent fires are often n$isance fires *$t "ay escalate to vehicles
89cite"ent+"otivated arsonists desire the thrill associated &ith settin# the fire and relish the attention
it *rin#s ,hey rarely intend to in;$re %eo%le *$t dont have the re>$isite )no&led#e to )ee% the fires
$nder control ! car is an easy tar#et, and &ith little effort and ris), it can create an i"%ressive fire
In+*(#n"e /(#*01A(+!n /!( 2(!/%& . !rson for %rofit is ins$rance fra$d, a cri"inal "ethod of
o*tainin# "oney fro" the ins$rance %olicy =eo%le %$rchase cars that they cant afford and #et *ehind
in the %ay"ents ! lease &as attractive at first, $ntil they reali<e that the additional "iles rac)ed $%
&ill res$lt in hefty financial %enalties 'o&adays, &ith a co"*ination of the econo"y and increasin#
f$el %rices, settin# the car on fire is seen as a >$ic) and victi"less esca%e ?o&ever, %enalties and
fines associated &ith these cri"es f$rther co"%o$nd the financial stress
V#n0#$%+) + :andalis" or the cri"inal offense of "alicio$s "ischief can *e the res$lt of
*oredo", %eer %ress$re or even #an# activity :ehicles %ar)ed in a lot or a #reat distance fro" a
residence and see"in#ly a*andoned a$to"o*iles are attractive tar#ets for tro$*le+"a)in# activities
State Fire Marshal @rain S Geraci stated, All Marylanders should communicate with their
neighbors and local authorities in a proactive manner to help prevent these heinous crimes from
occurring in their neighborhoods. The costs involved in this illegal activity end up being shared
by each of us through our insurance policy premiums.
(See attached Governors =rocla"ation on %a#e 1)
333
,he Office of the State Fire Marshal is an a#ency of the Ae%art"ent of State =olice dedicated to hel%in# %rotect
citi<ens fro" fire and e9%losion thro$#h a co"%rehensive %ro#ra" of ed$cation, ins%ection, investi#ation and
fire %rotection en#ineerin# For "ore infor"ation on fire safety call 1+-00+323+1124, lo# onto o$r &e*site
at5 &&&"ds%or#Bfire"arshal andBor htt%5BBface*oo)co"BMarylandStateFireMarshal
=a#e 2 of 4
Media contact5 @r$ce A @o$ch, Ae%$ty State Fire MarshalC 441+124+2-/2
=a#e 4 of 4
=a#e 4 of 4