Much research has been carried out into the motives of firesetters and arsonists, which has enabled the Arson Task Force, to compile a list of ten broad categories of motives, drawn from current research and from the experience of team members. Such motives include:
Vandalism
This category covers deliberate and willful firesetting which is "just for the sake of it". It also includes firesetting due to dares and peer group pressure. Vandalism motivated arson is generally spontaneous and impulsive and involves multiple perpetrators. Schools are often the target of vandalism motivated arson, as are abandoned or empty properties and, in the experience of this project, abandoned vehicles. Anti-social behaviour fires are also often motivated by vandalism.
Curiosity/ Fire Play
This category is generally used when the fire has been set by young children who do not understand the dangers of fire and were playing with, for example, discarded matches or cigarette lighters. The individuals concerned are usually taken onto the firesetters intervention program.
Excitement
This category includes those who set fires for thrills, attention seeking, recognition and sexual perversion. It can be seen already that none of these categories are clear cut and one may lead to another: for example vandalism may lead to the arsonist setting fires for the thrill of it; and childhood fireplay may lead to setting fires deliberately for the amount of attention it generates from adults.
Revenge.
This category includes fires set for personal retaliation (e.g. against a partner, spouse or other family member); retaliation against government or other institutions: and fires which are set as revenge against rival gangs or groups or in order to intimidate. In fact, many arsons have an element of revenge (conscious or unconscious) as part of the motive. Arsons of this type are often much better planned and executed than other categories, and may be one-off events.
Crime-concealment
This is used to describe arson fires which are set in order to conceal another crime or vital evidence. For example, a room which a murder had taken place might be fired by the perpetrator in order to destroy the body and destroy the crime scene. Stolen vehicles are often set alight after being abandoned in order to try and destroy any forensic evidence.
Profit
This category includes insurance fraud and arson carried out against a competitor to attempt to put them out of business.
Extremist
This category includes arson perpetrated by terrorists or other extremists (e.g. animal rights activists) and also arson which occurs during or as part of riots or other civil disturbance.
Racial
This category is fairly self-explanatory and covers all fires which are set for reasons of racial tension or intolerance.
Mental illness
The Task Force has attended several incidents, both within residential units and in the wider community, where firesetting has been due to mental illness.
Serial arson
This is where one individual working alone sets a series of fires, often over a long period of time. Serial arsonists may have one or more of the other motives also contributing to their firesetting behaviour.
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