Each year across the nation millions of dollars worth of property and hundreds of lives are lost as a result of fires that are intentionally started by arsonists. Citizens are displaced from their homes, lives are lost, business owners suffer economic losses and insurance companies spend large amounts of monies needlessly. Arson is the top cause of fires in non-residential structures and a leading cause of fires in the home. Arsonists strike for many reasons, including revenge, vandalism, crime concealment and insurance fraud.
Arson robs communities of valuable tax base and citizens suffer higher insurance premiums and taxes.
Sadly, juvenile arsons continue to plague fire investigators and law enforcement agencies. The Fire Marshal s Office is the lead agency when fires of undetermined origin or suspicious nature occur. A fire investigation task force is being organized in Orange County to combat the crime of arson. The task force will be comprised of fire marshal s staff, fire department personnel, Orange County Sheriff Investigators, Special Agents from the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms . The Fire marshal s staff are members of the North Chapter of the International Association of Arson Investigators .