Incendiarism: An Overview and an Appraisal

This report summarizes the conclusions reached by members of the Committee on Fire Research on the Commission on Sociotechnical Systems of the National Research Council and by experts in the field of arson and incendiarism who were in attendance at a Conference on Arson and Incendiarism held at the National Academy of Sciences on July 29-30, 1975. It was the firm conclusion of the Committee on Fire Research that a symposium on incendiarism should be held within the next 10 to 12 months at the National Academy of Sciences. The symposium should (1) review the state of the art of detection, investigation, and prevention of incendiarism; (2) stress the pursuit of knowledge in areas singled out in this report as deficient; (3) review action programs in related areas; and (4) emphasize behavioral interfaces with other segments of the problem. (Author) A Report on a Conference on Arson and Incendiarism, 29-30 Jul 75, Washington, D. C.