But we have a long way to go. We're back again this year to build on the progress made in alerting the public of the fact that arson is a national problem that must be solved locally. This effort represents the commitment by numerous federal agencies, governments at all levels, the private sector, and the volunteer community to solve this problem. National Arson Awareness Week, May 3 to May 9, is the culmination of this initiative. In a very real sense, it marks the second year of an unprecedented crusade to combat a national problem that far too often can maim and kill.
Arson is preventable.
What is disturbing is that one out of every four fires is intentionally set. And in that moment they have attacked the lives, the livelihoods and the spirit of a community. Arson is a national problem, but it is fundamentally a local problem. Local fire and police departments are well-trained and ready to mount heroic efforts. But when the doors of the fire station go up to respond, you already have lost the battle to prevent that fire from happening.