Arson

Arson, the act of deliberately setting fire to a building, car or other property for fraudulent or malicious purposes, is a crime in all states. Insurers have an interest in preventing and detecting arson because such fires cause needless loss of life and property and also push up the cost of insurance for homeowners, vehicle owners and owners of commercial buildings. Great strides have been made in fighting arson over the past two decades. Church arson is now classified as a federal crime and a coalition of federal agencies are allied against church arson. More fire fighters and police officers have basic training in arson detection. Insurers have set up a computerized database of property claims to help identify suspicious fires and insurance companies have special units to investigate suspected arson.