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Vengeance Linked To Spike In Virginia Communty's Arson Rate
AMANDA CODISPOTI
Roanoke Times
Reprinted with Permission
A 19-year-old man expelled from Roanoke's Rivermont School in February returned later that day and set fire to the back deck, authorities said.
A neighbor saw the student walking away from the fire at the school for troubled youngsters and called 911. The blaze went out before firefighters arrived, and police arrested the student.
That kind of vengeance, along with domestic violence, caused the number of arsons in Roanoke to more than double in six years, Fire Chief David Hoback said Monday.
Arsons rose to 44 in 2010 from 19 in 2005, Hoback said. In 2010, intentionally set fires accounted for 38 percent of the 116 fires investigated by the city fire marshal, Hoback told the Roanoke City Council.
"We don't tolerate it, and we need help in the community" to curb arsons and arrest culprits, Hoback said.
Few of last year's arsons were to collect insurance money, Hoback said. Instead, most were motivated by rage.
Arson fires consumed trash, vehicles, houses and businesses, the chief said.
In 2009, a disgruntled PetSmart employee set fire to the Valley View store on a busy Saturday afternoon, endangering lives and causing $1.7 million in damage. Other employees and bystanders rescued stranded pets. The arsonist was sentenced to six months in jail.
The worst of 2010's arsons was a March apartment fire on Ninth Street Southeast that severely burned one man and injured two others. The blaze was retaliation for a fight between residents of another apartment in the building, authorities said at the time. No one was arrested.
"It's hard to put someone to the match or the lighter," said Roanoke Fire Marshal Daniel Rakes.
Rakes said he believes someone knows who set the Ninth Street fire, but the witness hasn't come forward.
The fire marshal and police made arrests in 10 of last year's arsons.
Rakes and Hoback called on citizens to be vigilant about fires and to help in arson investigations.
Hoback credited the neighbor who saw the student set last month's fire at the school. He said there have been other cases where arsonists have been videotaped in the act and turned in.
"It's the public saying, 'OK, there's really something wrong here,' " Hoback said.
The Roanoke Fire-EMS Department will use Facebook and Twitter to raise awareness of arson and educate residents.
"The only thing we can do is educate people to keep their eye out," said department spokeswoman Tiffany Bradbury, the department's fire prevention specialist.
Related
Roanoke fire officials cite vengeance in rise of arsons
Roanoke Times
Reprinted with Permission
A 19-year-old man expelled from Roanoke's Rivermont School in February returned later that day and set fire to the back deck, authorities said.
A neighbor saw the student walking away from the fire at the school for troubled youngsters and called 911. The blaze went out before firefighters arrived, and police arrested the student.
That kind of vengeance, along with domestic violence, caused the number of arsons in Roanoke to more than double in six years, Fire Chief David Hoback said Monday.
Arsons rose to 44 in 2010 from 19 in 2005, Hoback said. In 2010, intentionally set fires accounted for 38 percent of the 116 fires investigated by the city fire marshal, Hoback told the Roanoke City Council.
"We don't tolerate it, and we need help in the community" to curb arsons and arrest culprits, Hoback said.
Few of last year's arsons were to collect insurance money, Hoback said. Instead, most were motivated by rage.
Arson fires consumed trash, vehicles, houses and businesses, the chief said.
In 2009, a disgruntled PetSmart employee set fire to the Valley View store on a busy Saturday afternoon, endangering lives and causing $1.7 million in damage. Other employees and bystanders rescued stranded pets. The arsonist was sentenced to six months in jail.
The worst of 2010's arsons was a March apartment fire on Ninth Street Southeast that severely burned one man and injured two others. The blaze was retaliation for a fight between residents of another apartment in the building, authorities said at the time. No one was arrested.
"It's hard to put someone to the match or the lighter," said Roanoke Fire Marshal Daniel Rakes.
Rakes said he believes someone knows who set the Ninth Street fire, but the witness hasn't come forward.
The fire marshal and police made arrests in 10 of last year's arsons.
Rakes and Hoback called on citizens to be vigilant about fires and to help in arson investigations.
Hoback credited the neighbor who saw the student set last month's fire at the school. He said there have been other cases where arsonists have been videotaped in the act and turned in.
"It's the public saying, 'OK, there's really something wrong here,' " Hoback said.
The Roanoke Fire-EMS Department will use Facebook and Twitter to raise awareness of arson and educate residents.
"The only thing we can do is educate people to keep their eye out," said department spokeswoman Tiffany Bradbury, the department's fire prevention specialist.
Related
Roanoke fire officials cite vengeance in rise of arsons
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Patti Walz on
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Why is it that when people want to get revenge they torch it?
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