Modus Operandi by Mauro Corvasce (universal ebook reader txt) 📕

Let's walk through a scenario. The arsonist goes to a warehouse district during the daytime hours to scout some possible targets. Once he locates a target, he returns that night to perform additional scouting without detection. He may even, if the building is unoccupied at the time, break into the building to determine if there are enough materials on hand to start and sustain a fire. Once this preplanning is finished, he will carry out his plans.

He returns during the evening hours and places gallon plastic milk containers filled with alcohol throughout the building. He connects these gallon containers with trailers, usually rags soaked in alcohol. He lights the trailers, which will carry the flame throughout the building. He exits the building and may leave altogether or stay in the neighborhood to watch the building burn. Some pyromaniacs only get a kick out of lighting the fire.

Firestarters

Persons who start fires do so for a number of reasons. These reasons may be to seek fame, to get even, personal finance, rage or curiosity. These next few profiles will give the writer some information as to how and for what reasons people start fires.

The Here

Security guards and volunteer firefighters are generally in good positions to start fires. These types of firesetters are attention-seekers or would-be heroes. For example, a security guard working the morning tour of duty ignites a small, controllable fire such as a pile of debris or a trash can. He "discovers" the fire and gives the alarm to save the building. He becomes a hero. Or, a volunteer firefighter sets a controllable, nonlethal fire in a garbage dumpster or small shed. He does this by using materials located at the scene and igniting them. Both the security guard and the firefighter will experiment and eventually branch out to abandoned buildings, and then to occupied buildings, in an attempt to become bigger and better heroes, perhaps even saving someone's life.

These types of fires are usually a spur of the moment decision. Excessive alcohol consumption has been related to these firestarters.

A third type of hero firestarters are police-buff arsonists. Police-buff arsonists are just like the security guards and volunteer firefighter arsonists in that they are attempting to win praise and social recognition and are usually at the scene giving assistance to the authorities. They will light fires at a location such as a home for people with special needs or people who are nonambulatory. They pick these locations because they will get the most sympathy and attention for helping fight the fire.

The Lover

Some arsonists act from vanity and jealous rage. Men tend to set fire to the vehicle or home of a current or former lover to get even with her. His goal is to create large, dangerous fires with the intent of total destruction. He brings flammable and combustible materials to the scene knowing what will happen after igniting them. The apartment building or house itself will be set afire from materials on hand with matches and a lighter. These types of fires are often set late at night, after a heavy drinking binge or a violent argument.

Women, on the other hand, light very small fires, usually on the bed using materials on hand such as facial tissues or the man's clothing. She will make a small combustible pile and set it on fire using matches or a lighter.

The Juvenile

Juvenile firesetters are complex and bewildering to investigate. One may light a fire by playing with matches out of curiosity, or it could be a vengeful or hostile action with the intent of destroying property and life. Most of the time, juvenile firestarters plan the fire well and use materials at the scene and flammable liquids.

Juvenile firestarters are sometimes caught by their own experimentation. In one case, a boy would sit around and watch the flame of his small disposable lighter. One day, the lighter overheated, causing a small explosion. The boy later died from the injuries he received when the lighter exploded and ignited his clothing.

As the juvenile firesetter reaches his teen years, he collects fire tools such as a box of wooden matches and small bottles filled with flammable liquids to experiment with fire bombs. He may even make small pipe bombs by compressing match heads into a pipe. The pipe can be half-inch diameter copper pipe with the ends folded over. The pipe is then thrown into a small fire. The firestarter will sit around to watch it explode. This is very dangerous because the match heads can explode while they are being packed into the pipe.

Eventually, either by themselves or in small groups, they set an abandoned building on fire using combustible materials such as pieces of furniture, bed coverings or curtains. They pile these materials throughout the building, light the piles, and exit running. These building are usually close to their own homes, so they wait at home until the fire trucks arrive, then return to the scene to watch the fire.

The Others

Other arsonists may act alone or with a close friend. Like most firestarters, he will work in darkness to prevent apprehension and to sneak around undetected. He studies the layout of the building, either through remote surveillance or at the scene. He carries a small amount of flammable liquid, approaches the house from a side where he can conceal his actions, splashes or pours the flammable liquid on an outside wall of the building, and ignites it.

This type of fire, even though extremely dangerous, takes more time to start. This delay gives the arsonist enough time to return to his car and drive past as if he were going for a midnight ride. He jumps out to save the day and assists with the evacuation of the building to the extent of suffering injury including smoke inhalation. This type of behavior will happen again and again until he is apprehended. The difference between the "hero" and this arsonist is the

former is seeking attention while the latter is just