Accordingly, but unlike Baltimore which had a decrease in population density from the beginning to the end of the study period, population density has steadily climbed in northeastern Santiago, from 434.5 people per square kilometer in 1930 to 985.6 people per square kilometer in 1997, as illustrated in Figure 9. Hence, while Baltimore's population in 1994 and 1919 were roughly equivalent, and its density is declining, northeastern Santiago's population and density have been increasing steadily. False or unjustified alarms and intentionally set fires in Santiago Conversations with fire officials in eastern Santiago indicate that arson is rare in Chile. The fire department in northeastern Santiago has kept a fairly good record of intentional fires during the last century, and very few cases of arson have been reported. False alarms often pertain to technical equipment failures or mandatory runs to fulfill police mandates.
Unjustified alarms occur when a person reports a fire but in reality there is none.
It is somewhat impressive that there have been so few false alarms, unjustified alarms, or intentionally set fires in northeast Santiago. However, it is most impressive to consider the remarkable rise in these problems starting in 1960, and especially after 1980. Perhaps this rise can be explained by the expanded use of fire prevention technology, which creates more opportunities for equipment malfunction. Or it could be due to the political unrest in Chile during the period, or even its economic expansion. Nevertheless, it seems clear that there must have been growing cultural and technological inefficiencies which increased the costs of fire fighting.