By Joe Berk
Arson investigation is a highly technical field, so I was naturally interested when a friend (a retired arson investigator) told me about what he used to do. He described what’s involved in determining if a fire occurred as a result of arson and he lent two books to me (Torchered Minds and The Arsonist Profiles). I couldn’t put either down. They are fascinating reading.
Ed Nordskog wrote Torchered Minds first; The Arsonist Profiles followed. Although initially intended for arson investigators, Nordskog’s writing makes them fascinating reading for anyone. A few of the concepts Nordskog develops in his books include:
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- Many fires are not recognized as arson. Police often do not investigate smaller fires, dismissing them as either accidental or inconsequential vandalism.
- Fire departments are not good choices for investigating arson; that task is more appropriately assigned to police agencies.
- Surprisingly (or perhaps not surprisingly), in more than a few cases firefighters are arsonists. The same things that attract firefighters to their profession are the things that sometimes cause people to become arsonists.
- Serial arson is a much more prevalent crime than most people realize (including most police departments).
- By the time serial arsonists are convicted, they have most likely set hundreds of other fires.
- Physical abnormalities and having been the victim of child abuse are often present in the backgrounds of serial arsonists.
- Revenge is frequently an arson motive. Arson for profit (with the arsonist committing insurance fraud or being paid by others to do so) is another common motive.
- The Hollywood portrayal of arsonists being sexually excited by fire is bunk; Nordskog never encountered this as a motivation in any of his investigations.
Both books have descriptions of the arson events, the investigations, the outcomes, and Nordskog’s evaluation of the arsonists and their motivations. Nordskog did much of his work while a member of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department; many of the events he describes in his books are crime sprees I saw in our local news as they were occurring (for me, that made the books even more interesting). Arson investigation may not seem like an interesting topic, but Nordskog’s ability to tell the tale and characterize arsons by initiation method, arsonist motivation, and other factors makes for great reading. Trust me on this: Torchered Minds and The Arsonist Profiles are fascinating books.
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