A project for Criminology 101 regarding fire and it's many criminal usages.

1. Arson v. Pyromania
Comparing and Contrasting the Love
of the Flame

2. Some say the world will end in fire,
The Desire of Fire
Some say in ice.
Though arsonists and pyromaniacs both like to play
From use fire for I’ve tasted ofuse fire for
• Arsonists
what desire
with fire, there are some very important differences:
• Pyromaniacs
I personal gain: those who favor fire.
hold with
– Profit
personal gratification:
– Relaxation
– But if it had to perish twice,
Vandalism – Curiosity
– Revenge – Enjoyment
I think Iof know enough of hate
– Concealment another
crime
• Pyrophilia
– Risk/Danger
To know that for destruction ice • Showing off
Is also great
And would suffice.

3. First, we have those who love
fire as a tool or weapon:
ARSONISTS

4. Arson: for Fun and Profit
• Profitable arson has been present almost as long as fire
insurance has.
– There are newspapers dating back as early as 1903 stating problems with
shipyard users burning warehouses as a way of getting partial refunds on
spoiled goods.
• These arsonists have to be careful:
– If they are even the least bit amateur, it is far too easy to get caught; insurance
companies love their money.
– A few of the lucky amateurs who end up with their claims following through
can actually lose money; the goods they burned being worth more than they
expected, and more than they were insured for.

5. Burning Cover-Ups
• Some ‘arsonists’ aren’t really arsonists at all, but something
much worse: LIARS
• Also murderers, burglars, and trespassers.
• Most of these crimes are committed by single white men, as most crimes are.
• These types of arson are usually disorganized and hurried jobs, a sort of a last-
minute “Oh dear, my life is over if anyone finds out” solution.
• Often used to eliminate evidence towards conviction of the original crime.
– Often fails in this manner, as either too little accelerant (gasoline or other burnable material)
was applied for the amount of things needing destroyed, or too much accelerant is applied
and the fire is noticed quickly enough to be put out and for evidence to be salvaged.
– ‘Defendant’ often found guilty on charges of both arson and original crime, unless they are
experienced or otherwise well-learned on the matter.

6. • Arson for vengeful purposes are used to battle
injustice, which is occasionally solely in the arsonist’s
imagination.
• Often intra-racial (offender and victim of the same race)
• Typical offender:
– Adult male
– Ten or more years of formal education (post-secondary)
– Blue Collar, if employed at all
– Rents living space, almost never a homeowner
• Many arson cases have some element of revenge
involved.
– Usually retaliation, either personal, social, or governmental.

7. Now, those who love the fire for its own beauty…
To an extent.
PYROMANIACS

8. Curiosity Torched the Cat
• Pyromania often begins in childhood, almost always out of
pure curiosity.
• This curiosity can go from watching candles burn, to trying to
light candles, to experimenting with other flammable
things, to accidentally letting the fire get out of control.
• Nearly every child plays with fire at some point.
– 80% of arson fires are set by minors
• Of this 80%, 50% are considered ‘child-related’

9. That Burning Temptation
• Many pyromaniacs are quite passive: they use fire to relax.
(Personally, I can get lost in dancing flames.)
• With enough usage as a relaxant, pyromaniacs can become
addicted to the flame.
• The problem here enters when these pyromaniacs don’t have
access to fire for extended periods of time and become quite
stressed, or a simple candle will not do.
– Think of when a smoker is out of nicotine on a bad day, or they’re
stuck with weak amounts.

10. Pyrophilia
• Some pyromaniacs enjoy fire in a ‘different’ way.
• Pyrophilia is described as, essentially, pyromania with
gratification being sexual, as opposed to relaxing or satiating
curiosity.
• This is extremely prevalent in southern California, with many
cults having bonfire parties for this very purpose.
• Some find the warmth to be the main cause for
arousal, where others find the risk to be the main enjoyment.

11. Fire Starters:
• http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0tITXJhu-Yk/TQk6nsO_c3I/AAAAAAAAEIQ/JPDdOwrjrbM/s1600/christmas+idea.JPG
• http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/3/1/5/8/4/ar131577534248513.JPG
• http://www.audioenglish.net/dictionary/pyromania.htm
• http://www.descant.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/candle-flame.jpg
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyromania
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyrophilia
• http://www.gotowallpapers.com/wallpapers/allimg/c100515/12I92c342Z-22A4.jpg
• http://kotv.images.worldnow.com/images/16202525_BG1.jpg
• http://www.motifake.com/image/demotivational-poster/1106/revenge-absolute-fire-absolutely-rocks-demotivational-
posters-1308573076.jpg
• http://www.mymultiplesclerosis.co.uk/stranger-than-fiction/pyromania.html
• http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/46006000/jpg/_46006027_warehous203.jpg
• http://www.newson6.com/story/16202525/two-tulsa-house-fires-minutes-apart-from-one-another-ruled-arson
• http://www.psychforums.com/paraphilias/topic63753-10.html
• http://www.rightdiagnosis.com/p/pyrophilia/causes.htm
• http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080911102032AAFBdq2
• http://www.webinapage.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/disaster-girl-fire-house-fille.jpg
• http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_pyrophilia