Latest Arson Headlines
All the headlines from our Arson Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Kentucky Suburb to Charge Insurers Fee for Fire Service
May 13 2011 // A suburban fire department in Louisville, Ky. will begin charging a fee to battle most blazes later this summer. Lyndon will charge a homeowner’s or business’ insurance company as part of a new...
Man Arrested for Setting 14 Fires in Pennsylvania
May 11 2011 // A man wanted for setting more than a dozen fires in central Pennsylvania has been arrested in Ohio. Lancaster police say 31-year-old Anthony Harnisch was arrested last week in Painesville, Ohio on a warrant issued by...
5 Former Volunteer Firefighters in West Virginia Face Arson Charges
Apr 25 2011 // Five former members of a volunteer fire department in Jefferson County, West Virginia have been charged with arson and conspiracy. The Journal reported that a grand jury indicted the men last week. One former firefighter...
Texas Science Panel Adopts Arson Recommendations
Apr 20 2011 // A state panel in Texas has recommended more education and training for fire investigators following its review of a case involving a Texas inmate executed after a fire labeled arson killed his three daughters. The Texas...
Young Texas Gang Members Busted for Arson in Bastrop County
Mar 18 2011 // Photo by Janine Mather, Texas State Fire Marshall's Office An anonymous phone call to the Texas Arson Hotline has led to the arrest of three juvenile gang members in Bastrop County. The three teenagers reportedly...
Connecticut Court Rules Man Charged in Arson May Sue Insurer
Mar 7 2011 // A Connecticut man charged with burning down his beach home hours before he was supposed to give it to his estranged wife may sue the home’s insurer for emotional distress, the state Appellate Court has ruled. Richard...
Connecticut Court: Man Charged in Arson Can Sue Insurer
Feb 16 2011 // A Connecticut man charged with burning down his beach home hours before he was supposed to give it to his estranged wife can sue the home’s insurer for emotional distress, the state Appellate Court has ruled. Richard...
Texas Commission to Report on Willingham Arson Case
Jan 25 2011 // A Texas commission looking into an arson investigation that led to the execution of the man convicted of starting the fatal fire decided last Friday to move ahead with a report on the case even though its authority is not...
Suspect Arrested After String of Fires in Virginia
Dec 20 2010 // Police say a suspect is in custody after a third fire in one week damaged a Super 8 motel in Virginia. Hanover fire Battalion Chief William Jones tells the Richmond Times-Dispatch that the third fire was reported just...
New Jersey Towns Look to Charge Insurers for Fire and First-Aid
Dec 9 2010 // Some New Jerseyans might have to pay if they need the fire department or an ambulance. Salem’s City Council has adopted an ordinance that would allow the fire department to charge to recover costs. The council says...
Alabama Jury Awards $5 Million to Arson Victim
Dec 9 2010 // Lauderdale County, Ala. jurors have awarded $5 million in damages to a woman who suffered life-threatening injuries in a 2004 arson fire. The TimesDaily newspaper reported that 20-year-old Karrie Hayes testified during the...
Pennsylvania Police: Arson Gutted Civil War-Themed Chapel
Dec 7 2010 // A fire that destroyed a controversial Civil War-themed chapel in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania was set intentionally, police said. There are no official suspects, but investigators are seeking three teens reported to be in the...
Maine Man Wants Coffee Shop Arson Trial Moved
Nov 29 2010 // A 49-year-old Maine man charged with burning down a topless coffee shop wants his trial moved. Raymond Bellavance claims pretrial publicity will make it too hard to find an unbiased jury in Kennebec County. Bellavance is...
Westfield Insurance Gives $20K in Arson-Fighting Gear to Ohio City
Nov 10 2010 // An Ohio-based insurance company is donating more than $20,000 worth of arson investigation gear to Toledo, which has seen a rash of vacant house fires. Westfield Insurance says the gift presented to the city on Tuesday...
Judge Sustains Charges in Ground Zero Tower Fire
Oct 26 2010 // There were a raft of hazards and regulatory failures at a contaminated ground zero tower where two firefighters died, but that’s not a reason to toss out manslaughter charges against three construction company...
Arkansas Developer Jailed in Arson-for-Insurance Case
Oct 18 2010 // Little Rock, Ark., developer Aaron Jones, who was convicted of setting fire to his $1.6 million home in an insurance scheme, was taken into custody so he can start serving time pending a prison sentence. Arkansas Business...
Eight Fires Within 16 Hours in New Hampshire are Deemed Arson
Oct 12 2010 // Authorities say eight fires in 16 hours in Manchester, New Hampshire were arson. Fire officials say they started Saturday afternoon and ended Sunday. No injuries or serious damage have been reported. District Fire Chief...
Student Arrested After Fires Again Strike Pennsylvania Dorm
Sep 30 2010 // A student is in custody following a series of fires inside a northeastern Pennsylvania dorm. Nineteen-year-old Ryan Burke was arrested hours after two fires broke out early Tuesday in the dorm on the campus of East...
Texas Panel Expected to End Arson Inquiry
Sep 16 2010 // A Texas panel is expected to review a final report that clears fire officials of wrongdoing in their arson investigation that led to a man’s 2004 execution. The Texas Forensic Science Commission is scheduled to meet...
Authorities Say Tennessee Mosque Fire Was Arson
Sep 7 2010 // Federal investigators said Friday that a suspicious fire that damaged construction equipment at the site of a future mosque in the southern state of Tennessee was arson and offered a $20,000 reward for information leading...
