All fires fall into one of three categories:
- Accidental,
- Incendiary, or
- Providential
Most fraudulent fires fit into the incendiary category, and where fraudulent fire occurs, a human hand is always involved. Somewhere, perhaps hidden in a maze of seemingly unimportant facts, lies a motive.
Motive may be the first indication of potential arson. Establishment of a motive also aids in identifying a potential or possible suspect. The following seven motives for incendiary fires are routine for fire investigators:
1. Fraud
2. Effort to hide another crime
3. Jealousy
4. Revenge
5. Thrill
6. Riots / Vandalism
7. Terrorism
Fraudulent fires set to defraud the insurance company are usually motivated by economics. When the corpus delicti of arson has been established, you can expect Unified to seek out and identify the motive for the fire.