GAYLORD - According to the Michigan Arson Prevention Committee (MAPC), more than 25 percent of fires reported in Michigan in 2001 were arson or suspicious in nature. Otsego County Fire Dept. Chief Dave Duffield said those statistics likely are comparable to the percentage of fires in Otsego County which also are suspicious or the work of arson.
To focus attention on the crime of arson, Gov. Jennifer Granholm has designated May 4-10 as Arson Awareness Week in Michigan.
"The problem with arson or suspicious fires is they are usually easy to detect but proving who did it is the hard part," Duffield said. "Once you eliminate all of the natural causes of a fire it's not too difficult to make a determination the cause of a fire as being suspicious in nature."
One of the problems facing the state in fighting the crime of arson, according to Duffield, is cuts in state funding for fire investigations. "We have a fire marshal in our region who has had seven fires in the past week to investigate and one that is a week-old that he hasn't been able to get out to the scene yet. When you cut back on the number of fire marshals you have it just makes it all the more difficult for them to do their jobs."
According to the MAPC there were 3,530 arson and another 7,422 suspicious fires reported in Michigan for 2001, with a dollar loss of $222 million. The committee reported 85 people died and another 237 were injured in intentionally set blazes in 2001.
Although not all arson fires can be prevented, MAPC officials suggest some precautions property owners can take to deter fire setters.
€ Always keep entry doors and garages locked.
€ Keep yard lights on.
€ Make sure property is free of trash and debris.
€ Report all suspicious activity to local law enforcement officials.
Arson Control pays up to $5,000 for information that leads to the arrest and/or conviction of arsonists. Anyone with information about a suspicious fire can call 800-44-ARSON.