Scope of Problem

The problem of arson is significant. In a study of national fire statistics [1], the estimated annual average number of fires in highway vehicles was 266,000 which resulted in 350 civilian deaths and 960 million dollars in direct property damage. Of these, fires described as “intentional” accounted for 15.6% of the total, 9% of the deaths, and 25% of the direct property damage. Of the 45,100 estimated annual number of fires reported to originate in the operator or passenger area, 53% were attributed to an intentional cause.

References

1. Ahrens, M., “An Overview of the U.S. Highway Vehicle Fire Problem.” SAE 2005-01-1420, 2005.