Arson/Investigation
The FireRescue1 Arson/Investigation resources page features news about confirmed and suspected arson as well as information on the latest fire investigation methodologies to help fire investigators and other personnel identify fire causes.
15 people died in the Elliott Chambers rooming house fire in Beverly in 1984
Firefighters searched twice for the missing man during the fire after being told he was inside
Nassau County police stated the 11-year-old child was told to light the fireworks which later set a shed and two houses on fire
The fire was undetermined until he failed a job application polygraph test for the Secret Service
He doused a mailbox fire and carried a burning baby stroller out of the building saying he reacted how he was trained growing up
Crews were able to put the fire out before destroying the firehouse; police are searching for the suspect
Robert Brasky has pleaded not guilty to two felony charges of arson and two misdemeanor counts of criminal damage to property
A convicted arsonist was one of many ways the fire prevention group is trying to prevent juveniles from becoming fire starters
The two fires were unrelated, but resulted in all four being removed from their department
Judge Joseph Williams III said he was fair and continues to be fair in the case of a fire that killed three firefighters
Gregory Brown Jr. was convicted of three counts of second degree murder for setting the Bricelyn Street fire that killed three Pittsburgh firefighters in 1995
Three firefighters and two residents were injured in the massive 3-alarm fire
The firefighter suffered a non-life threatening injury after falling through the second floor of the home
Frederick Maw received a 40-year suspended sentence due to mental health issues and cannot participate in any firefighting efforts
He was charged with setting two of the seven fires, but is a suspect for all of them; investigators are still trying to learn the motive
Some nearby structures were damaged by the blaze; one house across the street had melted aluminum siding
Capt. John Darmanin said he was demoted because he spoke out about the understaffed unit’s backlog of incomplete investigations
Investigators determined the fire was intentionally set in a storage room; the woman previously received insurance payments from two other fires
Due to firefighters’ quick efforts, all fires were swiftly extinguished minimizing damage and no one was injured
Donta Betts on why he tried to torch a police car: “I figured I did all this because that was my period of time to go wild on the police.”
The firefighters were treated for minor burns and were later released from the hospital
Police went in the aerial ladder, tased the 25-year-old and then took him into custody
Using this new technology, fire investigators were able to quickly and efficiently map the scene of the fire
Zane Wallace Peterson was arrested Dec. 17, 2013 and charged with more than 70 felony counts, including murder and arson; he remains in jail in lieu of $3.025 million bail
He told police he was “tired of the city not addressing the abandoned homes in the area;" he’s accused of setting 10 fires
Roger Lippincott, 79, retired from firefighting 20 years ago but was still an honorary member at the department
He intended to burn his mother’s abusive ex-boyfriend’s storage unit, but the fire spread to 40 units
Jairius Hardaway, a 10-year veteran, was accused of setting a car on fire for insurance purposes
The contractor basically identified himself from surveillance video; the three-alarm fire caused $2 million damage to the high-rise apartment building
Justin Clum, 26, faces 25 charges, including multiple counts of attempted first- and second-degree murder, arson and assault; he is being held on $1 million bond
The 21-year-old is believed responsible for 11 fires; police say he admitted setting the fires after his arrest
Fire investigators say they dismissed the earlier report as the theory wasn’t supported by evidence; a man is charged with setting a fire where two Toledo firefighters died
The receipts from Mankato businesses, Else’s girlfriend’s testimony and an investigation by a private investigator were offered as evidence