Ignition

Stop Woods Arson

Wildfire ignitions have a variety of causes, including lightning, debris burning, equipment, cigarettes, and campfires. All but the first of these are human caused, but they are generally viewed as accidental. There is one additional source that does not fit that term--arson. It is by definition purposeful, and are particularly more common in the urban-forest interface where values at risk are high.

Examination of wildland arson in the context of a crime can help determine what might cause a criminal to decide to and successfully carry out wildland arson.  Criminologists have used this type of information to develop computer-based tools based on mathematical models of criminal activity, models which can identify crime hotspots or crime intensity maps across space and time, and possibly help lower arson ignitions and the damage they cause.

The following introduction to wildland arson provides numerical facts and historical records. Arson's spatial and temporal patterns are described, as well as arson in the context of a crime. Finally, laws and lessons are summarized and future research needs are presented.