Copyright 1998, National Fire Protection Association, Quincy, MA 02269.
Many groups are vocal on the subject, and arson figures prominently in popular fiction.
Perhaps the most persistent myth about arson is that it's the fastest-growing crime in the United States. In fact, arson isn't growing at all, at least in terms of long-term trends. The perception that arson is increasing has been put forward by several sources. Among these are insurance-industry spokespersons, who base their conclusions, in part, on insurance industry estimates of the size of the arson problem. However, insurance databases aren't as representative as those cited above, and the methods used to make the estimates aren't as openly documented.