Arson Prevention at Houses of Worship

Today marks the start of the United States Fire Administration’s, National Arson Awareness Week.  The theme for 2017 is, “Arson Prevention at Houses of Worship”

Each year there is an average of 103 fires that affecting houses of worship.  The burning of a house of worship is a stressful event; it not only devastates the affected congregation, but wounds the entire community. Whether the motivation behind the arson is hate or reckless vandalism, a congregation views it as an attack on their beliefs and values.

Arson robs congregations of their valuable assets, lives and property. Arson destroys more than the buildings used as houses of worship; it can devastate a community, resulting in the decline of the neighborhood through increased insurance premiums, loss of business revenue, and a decrease in property values.

Houses of worship are particularly vulnerable to fire damage because they’re often unoccupied for long periods of time, and in many cases, in rural areas. Rural properties will generally sustain more severe damage – even with an accidental fire – since discovery and response time may be delayed.

Full resources and information for Arson Prevention in Houses of Worship can be found at, National Arson Awareness Week Resources 2017.

A real threat to houses of worship are those that exist from terrorism and terrorist activity. The Al-Qaidah publication, Rumiyah, Edition 5 outlines how to cause an incendiary attack.  The article outlines ways and means, and also provides a list of targets.  The below image and caption comes from the publication:

Caption reads: "1707 San Jacinto in Dallas, Texas - A popular Crusader gathering place waiting to be burned down"

Related posts:

• 15 Steps to Stop Church Arson
• Fire Safe Worship Space

Fire's Impact

When it comes to the issue of fire prevention, business owners fall into one of two categories.  There are the business owners who think that fire prevention/inspection/systems are unnecessary, a waste of money, and of little or no value ("after all we've been in business for ____ years, and never have had an incident"); and there are the business owners that desire the fire marshal's presence, they place a high value on fire/life safety processes/inspections/systems. 

What makes the difference? The bottom line is, education.  The accepting business owner knows that the following five fire impacts will cost much more later, than the cost of fire prevention now.

The 5 Impacts of Fire

1. Economic Impact - higher insurance premiums, loss of jobs/income, loss of home/business, loss of investments, medical costs
2. Organizational Impact - low employee morale (due to feelings of inadequacy, or that the company "just doesn't care"), recruitment/turnover (employees leave, hard to recruit new), cost
3. Legal Impact - civil litigation (for monetary loss, injury, death, failur to comply with fire codes), substantial financial costs and lost time
4. Psychological Impact - traumatic experience (for those injured, witnesses, family/friends, community-at-large)
5. Political Impact - reduction in tax base, loss of property 'units', increase in insurance rates, abandoned buildings, derelict neighborhoods

Fire prevention is about a lot more than just an inspector showing up to get some money, or cost the business money, or go on a power trip.  Fire prevention is by and large in the business of ensuring the continued success and longevity of businesses in the community.

These 5 Fire Impacts provided by the United States Fire Administration.

Disability and Fire

Annually, an estimated 1,700 residential building fires involving individuals with mental disabilities are reported to U.S. fire departments and cause an estimated 85 deaths, 250 injuries, and $61 million in total loss.  Additionally, there are an estimated 700 residential building fires involving individuals with physical disabilities that occur each year, resulting in 160 deaths, 200 injuries, and $26 million in property loss.

According to the reports, the majority of the residential building fires involving individuals with mental (62 percent) and physical (63 percent) disabilities occur in one- and two-family dwellings.  Cooking, at 22 percent, is the leading cause of residential fires where a physical disability is reported as a human factor contributing to the ignition of the fire.  This differs from the leading cause of residential fires where a mental disability is reported as a human factor contributing to ignition.  In these types of fires, intentional is the leading fire cause, at 40 percent.  Fire incidence involving individuals with disabilities occur most often in January and December.  In addition, these fires show a tendency to peak in the late afternoon to early evening hours.

The USFA has released the following two topical reports on residential building fires involving individuals with disabilities.

1. Residential Building Fires Involving Individuals With Mental Disabilities
2. Residential Building Fires Involving Individuals With Physical Disabilities